The Companion Connection
by Lumendea
Summary: Rose Tyler: Defender of the Earth and Star Knight has saved the world and the universe enough times to impress even the Doctor. Now she is a student at Cambridge, but with UNIT on campus and alien plots around the corner, her adventures have only just begun. Thirteen adventures and third in the Guardians of the Universe series. Features the 9th, 10th, 11th Doctors and more.
1. Xylok of Earth: UNIT on Campus

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter One: Xylok of Earth: UNIT on Campus

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Welcome to the third story in the Guardians of the Universe series. If you have not read The Blond Girl and Defender of the Earth I suggest that you start there. To all returning readers, thank you so much for all the awesome support you have given this series! Given the response to my poll Rose is start off with a motorcycle, you lot just wanted to "see" her in a leather jacket didn't you.

Rose Marion Tyler was eighteen years old and only in her second week of classes at King's College in Cambridge. Her new flat was a step up from the average student housing, but Rose had decided given the unexpected events that occupied part of her life a bit of privacy was probably a safer choice. Instead of a student flat through the university Rose had found a nice new flat building near the Cambridge University botanical gardens. It was a bit of a drive up to King's College, but she loved the view. She was paying more for it in a year than her mother used to make in that same span of time, but she didn't have to worry about roommates potentially seeing something alien which had of course become a fairly common occurrence in the last few years of her life.

On top of aliens there was always a chance that the TARDIS might just materialize in her flat which she did not want to explain, although that was technically also alien. The Doctor just fell into another category. Of course she hadn't seen him or heard from him since he left. Rose couldn't quite bring herself to call the TARDIS number he had left. After meeting the old man who went into the TARDIS Rose had realized that she really knew very little about him, he had mentioned a granddaughter after all. She was nervous at the idea of seeing him again, but had accepted that she didn't want the strange alien that was in love with her to vanish from her life.

Her new home was a small one bedroom flat, but it was more space than Rose had ever had to herself before in her life with privacy and a nice view. The building was close enough to King's College and the rest of the university that is was mostly filled with professors and graduate students that like her wished to avoid university housing. Her next door neighbor was a well-meaning, but socially awkward doctoral candidate in biology. One of her classmates, a man a little older than her lived one floor down with his wife. The young post doctorate down the hall was a chemist and the sound of small explosions from his flat inspired Rose to call Astra. They talked for over an hour before her friend mumbled something about her sister hitting a lever and said goodbye.

The University itself was unlike anything Rose had ever seen before. Growing up in London she had seen a few sights, but never really explored the city completely. The University center of the town was unlike London in the sense that all the old towering buildings were grouped. There were modern buildings scattered in, but it was so centered and focused unlike London where new buildings towered over historical sites. Rose loved the atmosphere and the people, she loved to go out for long walks in the area and watch everyone moving around. Her translator worked with every Earth language she had thus far encountered meaning that everything around her was an intense mix of ideas, all of which she could understand. However, Rose was careful not to draw too much attention to that. After all speaking every language fluently would attract a lot of attention and UNIT didn't know that the translator Alenica had given her had been upgraded.

Her favorite buildings were those that made up King's College, especially the chapel. It was such an iconic image and as a new student Rose still shivered in joy every time she walked to classes there. Eight years ago she never would have dreamed that she'd be a student here and one well thought of by her professors. Her A-Levels scores had been fantastic and she was ahead in all her classes, mostly due to dear Doctor Malcolm Taylor's discussions and informal lectures at their lunches. Having one of the great human geniuses of the age as a quirky uncle figure meant you learned a lot even if you didn't want to. Since she was working on degrees for both physics and computer science her workload was intense, but Rose found it interesting.

Fortunately her advisor Ian Chesterton was helpful in sorting out what courses Rose needed to take to complete her work and when to take them. It would take her four years instead of the standard three, but Rose was pleased with the plan Professor Chesterton had helped her formulate since many of her courses would be counted for both degrees. He was a highly intelligent man that Rose was very comfortable talking with. Many students found the man and his wife Professor Barbara Chesterton strange. In the last two weeks Rose had heard many rumors surrounding the two. Most of the rumors claimed that they had not aged since the 1960s which seemed a great exaggeration given the gray hairs in both their hair, but even Rose had noted that in theory both professors should be near their seventies and barely looked to be in their fifties. Recently in Professor Chesterton's office, Rose had seen a photo of his son who was an electrical engineer and that man looked only a few years younger than his father. It was one of the secret mysteries of Cambridge that students whispered about and invented all kinds of explanations for.

Her third Tuesday morning at Cambridge found her washing her breakfast dishes quickly while her mobile phone alarm went off. Rose pulled on her boots, shrugged into her leather jacket and grabbed her school bag. She grabbed her wallet, keys and helmet as she rushed to the door. The sky outside was grey and dark, two conditions that made it hard for Rose Tyler to get up and moving for classes. Taking the stairs, Rose reached the underground garage and moved over to her new motorcycle. She quickly packed her bag into the storage compartment and took out her riding gloves. Rose zipped up her leather jacket, it was a simple design that fastened at her neck and had racing stripes down the sleeves. Already in the month since she had shocked Jackie with coming home with a motorcycle, Rose had done a good job breaking in the jacket. Pulling on her gloves, Rose checked over the bike quickly before she pulled on her helmet and locked the storage case.

England was well into October now and on days like today the weather was reminding everyone that winter was approaching. It was not cold yet, but Rose was certainly recognizing that it wasn't August anymore. She maneuvered her motorcycle gracefully through the street s until she arrived at the small parking lot tucked back away from the university. Calmly, Rose packed up her things and waved to those that walked past her. Smiling, she slung her bag over her shoulder and started walking toward her chemistry class taught by Professor Ian Chesterton.

If Professor Chesterton knew the odd variety of rumors surrounding him and his wife, he certainly did not show any discomfort in front of his classes. He was a charismatic lecturer who never failed to keep his classes attentive no matter the subject material. The class was starting to work on the how and why molecules form question which Professor Chesterton promised would keep them busy for quite some time.

It was when she was leaving class that Rose spotted Mickey Smith standing outside on of the doorways. He was wearing blue jeans and a plain t-shirt, but Rose could just make out the microphone hidden under his shirt near his shoulder. Slipping into the shade of the chapel, Rose calmly observed Mickey for a moment. He posture was tense and straight, a position that she knew he and other UNIT personnel took when on duty. Sighing, Rose pulled out her phone and hit Mickey on the contact list. She watched him pull out his phone and smirked when he answered it.

"Why does UNIT have agents at my university?" Rose asked unable to hide her irritation and slight smugness.

"Rose stay out of this," Mickey said quickly as he looked around the area.

"By the chapel Mickey," Rose sighed and she gave a small wave when his eyes found her. "I hate to tell you this, but you're not being subtle. I can see your microphone from here."

Sighing, Mickey shook his head and looked away from her, "I can't talk about it with you Rose. You do not actually have security clearance unless UNIT calls you in. Stay out it." 

"Fine," Rose said with a huff. "Just tell me what alien posing as a student or professor I should avoid so I can stay out it."

His sigh was very loud over the phone and Mickey leaned back against the wall. "Professor Henry Gordon is a geologist researcher. He returned from working at the site of the Krakatoa six months ago. Since then he has had several major breakthroughs."

"More than UNIT is comfortable with?" Rose pressed.

"Yeah, he's a geologist Rose and yet two months ago he released designs for a new form of power conversation." 

"So UNIT suspects that he's working with aliens."

"Look, his record indicates that he is intelligent, but the reports lately suggest that there might be something else." Mickey paused, "And I have already told you way too much."

"Okay Mickey," Rose said. "I won't push. So let me guess UNIT has you here studying geology."

"Me and a few others," Mickey said. "Why couldn't this guy be an electrical engineer and teach classes I actually want to take."

"Sounds like he is," Rose teased. "Look though Mickey in all seriousness, I'm nearby if you need me." 

"I know," Mickey said gently. "Thank you for that."

"We're friends," Rose answered with a small smile.

"Yeah… friends," Mickey sighed. "Rose…"

"No Mickey," Rose said firmly. "I love you, just not like that."

"Why won't you even give us a chance Rose?" Mickey asked. "You've been putting up buffers between us for years now."

"Mickey I have someone," Rose said before she thought about it.

"Who?" Mickey asked. "I haven't heard from Shireen or Sharon that you're seeing someone." 

"It is complicated right now," Rose sighed. "But I think that I…" Rose stopped; she didn't know how to finish that sentence.

"Okay," Mickey said gently recognizing her discomfort. "Okay, just let me know if that changes and I might get a shot."

"You shouldn't be a second choice Mickey, "Rose said gently. "Have more faith in yourself."

"Easy for you to say," Mickey said with a chuckle. "According to all reports UNIT's received on you Rose Tyler, you're excelling here." 

"One I don't like UNIT spying on me and two I seem to learn best if it is a challenge."

"It's not spying Rose," Mickey insisted. "It's protecting you."

"Well tell your supervisors that I don't need that much protecting."

"Not my call," Mickey said. "I know you could take must of us down, Thorn."

Sighing, Rose shook her head and said, "Just keep yourself safe Mickey. I've got to get lunch before my next class."

"Have a good day."

"You too."

Hanging up, Rose glanced down at the contact list and stared at the TARDIS number before she closed her phone. She put it out of her mind and started walking towards her favorite café near the college. It had excellent food and she could always find a classmate to join for the meal. Today she sat with Kelsey Higgins who was in chemistry with her and they discussed recently created compounds that were awaiting their trail phase to end and be declared new elements. Yet, all through lunch Rose couldn't help but wonder about Professor Gordon and his recent discoveries. It kept her distracted all through her mathematics class. Rose found herself suffering her first embarrassing moment when called upon and she was unable to answer the equation.

At home she quickly read the material from her mathematics class and tried to force the UNIT investigation from her mind. Rose polished off her homework, made herself stir fry for dinner and calmly watched some television until she couldn't take it anymore. Surrendering to her curiosity, Rose turned off of the telly and returned to her desk. It was simple to search for Henry Gordon online and within the Cambridge system. 

Frowning, Rose noticed the reasons for UNIT's concerns right away as she browsed the articles about the man and the papers he had written. Since Professor Gordon had returned from the South Pacific he had producing work at an extreme rate. Not only had he published two papers with new theories and experimental results since then, but he had applied for seven patents. It wouldn't have stood out with a brilliant scientist, but Rose could only find a handful of distinguishing works before his departure three years ago.

Rose skimmed through the papers, most of it was pretty ordinary. There were papers on the calculation of continental drift, the rate of mountain increase and volcanism. Nothing jumped out as being very unusual until his latest paper that was proposing a machine that would allow humans to control the layers of rock and magma in order to control eruptions and geothermal features. Rose wasn't a geology student, but she had seen enough documentaries and specials to understand the ramifications of such a device, both good and bad. While it would allow scientists to prevent major earthquakes and produce metals in specific areas it could also be used to trigged volcanoes near major cities.

Rose was certain that it was this paper that caught UNIT's attention. Despite the paper only discussing theory, Rose could tell that an extreme level of technical expertise was behind the work. It provided a discussion on powering the machine, a power converter much like the one Mickey had referenced. The design called for an extreme level of technology that most people would not believe existed on Earth, but Rose knew better. Frankly, the paper was far too detailed in the description of the frequencies needed to affect changes to rock strata deep within the Earth for Rose's comfort. She saved the paper to her computer and after a moment of thought began to hack into the UNIT mainframe.

Malcolm's password had changed and the General had removed Rose's security status after she left UNIT after the Durmion Incident in the summer. However, Rose had familiarized herself with the layout of the UNIT system well enough to know where the weak points were. Hacking in through the installation protocols was a touch messy, but Rose was able to avoid triggering any alarms in the system.

"Alright Professor Gordon," Rose muttered with a grin as she accessed the file. "Let's see what else UNIT has found."

Three hours later Rose carefully exited the UNIT system despite wanting to slam the laptop shut and yelling. UNIT had nothing on the man despite their suspicions. Nothing unusual had been reported at the geological survey of Krakatoa. Yet Toshiko's report of the strange designs had alerted UNIT to a possible problem. However, even Tosh's genius had failed to find any solid evidence. Rose considered calling the older woman, but a glance at the clock made her sigh. Even Tosh wouldn't still be up and she didn't want to make Malcolm worry. Instead Rose shut down her system and turned the computer off. Leaning back in her chair she sighed loudly and looked up at the ceiling.

"Why are you looking for trouble Tyler?" Rose asked herself out loud. Groaning, Rose stood up and stretched before she answered her own question, "Because you love it."


	2. Xylok of Earth: Cambridge Quake

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Two: Xylok of Earth: Cambridge Quake

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Thank you for the amazing response to the first chapter. I'm sorry this took a few days, I got just enough a cold to make me miserable, but not enough of one to keep me from having to do my work from home. Not the most productive and creative status. I hope you enjoy this chapter, I've upped the pacing of the episodes since most of the characterization has been established.

Starting a day off in a foul mood was not Rose's preference, but after her long night of hacking and gaining no answers followed by lying awake in bed thinking about the problem did not put her in a good mood. She stumbled out of bed on Wednesday morning and looked out the window at the sunny day and yet still could not summon her normal happy energy. Instead she seriously considered sleeping in and rushing through her morning routine until the snooze button went off again. Rose put some coffee on before showering. Thirty minutes later she walked into her kitchen dressed in form fitting blue jeans, a long sleeved scoop neck green shirt and boots. Her damp dark blonde hair piled up on her head while it dried. Rose took a deep breath of coffee, relaxing at the scent and managed her first smile of the day. Turning on the telly, Rose switched to the news while she started making some toast and eggs for herself.

An hour later Rose was on her way to King's College, humming softly to herself and trying to retain a good mood rather than slip into the sour one that trying to overtake her. The sun was shining when she parked her motorcycle and started walking towards the office of Professor Ian Chesterton. Due to being an unusual double studies student her advisor was keeping an extra eye on her and Rose wondered in the back of her mind if he was reporting to UNIT, but shoved the thought to the side.

Professor Ian Chesterton's office was a larger one due to the number of years he had been at the university and was lined with bookshelves. It had that musty book smell that flooded the senses of whoever entered the room. Professor Chesterton was an expert in many fields and taught classes whenever professors were absent. The bookshelves had everything from biology to physics and this year he was teaching chemistry classes so that section had been shifted for easy access from the desk. A wedding photo sat on a secretary behind his desk of the Professor and his wife Barbara. Rose stepped into the office with a smile and quietly took a seat in the chair in front of the Professor's desk while he kept working. Professor Chesterton glanced up at Rose and smiled, motioning that he'd be right with her as he made a few more marks on the paper he was reading. A few moments later he dramatically capped his pen and put the paper into a box by his desk.

"Good morning Rose," Professor Chesterton said warmly even as he took in her tired appearance. "Rough night?" 

"My mind fixated on something," Rose responded with a sheepish smile. "Made it impossible to sleep soundly."

"I know that feeling," he told her with a nod and picked up Rose's file. "Everything alright? Nothing wrong in your classes or your move to Cambridge I hope."

"Oh it wasn't a personal issue or anything like that," Rose assured him quickly. "I just started reading a paper and couldn't put it down."

"Well just don't push yourself too hard."

"I'm fine Professor," Rose assured him. "The paper wasn't even connected to my subjects."

"Really, then what was it about?" Ian asked with a pleasant and amused smile.

"It was one of Professor Henry Gordon's papers," Rose said observing her advisor's reaction. "The one in which he describes a theoretical machine to control the different strata of the Earth's crust. According to his theory such a machine would allow humanity to create any materials it needed, shape the Earth to its needs and prevent natural disasters."

"An interesting paper," Ian agreed. "But to be completely honest I hope nothing like that ever exists. I know of far too many who would try to create precious stones and oil without worrying about effects on the stability of surface areas. We barely understand how the Earth works, so I'm not in a huge hurry to try and tell it what to do." Her professor leaned back in his chair and regarded Rose opposite to him with a curious expression.

"I agree Professor Chesterton," Rose said with a small nod. "Of course from a technical standpoint the paper itself is still very interesting with its discussion of energy pulsing and frequency control. If even half of his ideas are even close to accurate he was wasted as a geologist."

"Perhaps you should have studied electrical engineering," Ian teased fondly. "Computer science seems a touch too easy for you. Professor Dickenson has mentioned that you are advanced in the current coursework and have already discussed the first two papers with him."

"I thought about electrical engineering," Rose admitted with a shrug, "But I decided that once I complete my basic computer courses the subject would become more interesting. Not to mention you can do so much with programming knowledge. If I can both build and program it than I'll be golden."

"I like you Rose," Ian said with a chuckle. "You're good at what you're good at because you know how to learn. People can learn, but very few truly understand how to learn optimally. Very few understand their own thoughts well enough to channel the information and challenge it presents."

"I don't have everything figured out," Rose said with a soft blush.

"Oh at your age I would hope not, that would take all of the fun out it." Then he gave her a serious look, "There is power in how you operate and don't forget it. A person who understands exactly what they can do is a precious thing. They know when to get help when they can't succeed by themselves and they know when they can keep going despite problems. Don't lose that, it will help you."

Rose was about to reply when the room swayed. Grabbing the arms of the chair, Rose shuddered and looked at Professor Chesterton. The shaking intensified and Professor Chesterton jumped up from his chair and grabbed Rose's arm. Pulling, her out of the chair, he dragged her to the doorway. Rose grabbed his arm as the building shook even more and they waited in the doorway. When the shaking stopped, Rose gasped and realized that at some point she had stopped breathing. Professor Chesterton kept his grip on her for another moment before he sighed in relief and released Rose's arm. Stepping back he glanced over her and asked, "Are you alright Rose?"

"I'm alright," Rose said softly. "Thanks."

"First earthquake?"

"Yeah," Rose admitted with a shake of her head. "I can't believe I froze like that."

Professor Chesterton gave Rose a small smile and gently touched her shoulder. "Don't worry about it," he told her. "The human body reacts to threats in strange ways. Just remember, best place in an earthquake is a secure structure like a doorframe or under a desk."

"I will," Rose promised with a nod before Ian walked to his desk and picked up the phone. To give him some privacy, Rose walked to the window to look out at the students, but gasped loudly. From the office, she could see the back lawn and there was a now a large crack in the surface. Part of the lawn had been pulled up and turned to a forty degree angle. People were gathering around it and shouting. Without a word, Rose spun and grabbed her bag before running out of the professor's office.

The back lawn was a huge green space where student would gather to talk, play football and study. As Rose reached the ground floor and joined the many people looking on it astonishment, she was grateful that the cooler weather meant fewer people had been nearby. One group of students had been playing football and were surrounded by people asking questions. Slowly, Rose walked towards the large crack and examined it from a distance.

While geology wasn't her subject of interest, she certainly knew enough about the basics of plate tectonics to at least have a look. The ground in front of her had cracked and a small section of the ground had been turned and forced up on its side. Damage from earthquakes was usually caused by the vibrations shaking structures apart, causing holes and sometimes cracks. Rose knew that major events could shift an entire a layer of rock, but it wasn't common in smaller earthquakes. Pulling out her phone, Rose quickly snapped a few pictures before pulling up the internet and running a search for recent earthquakes. Taking a few steps away from the new large rock in the middle of Cambridge, Rose glanced through the list. Earthquakes were not uncommon in the UK and occurred every few years, but there hadn't been any so far that year. In fact the last one Rose found a record of was the Manchester earthquake in 2002. Pocketing her phone, Rose watched as the police arrived and started pushing the crowd back.

Glancing around, Rose's eyes found Mickey, another man roughly his age and a woman a bit older standing together and talking. Smirking, Rose made note of their posture and concerned expressions. Apparently UNIT did not like the coincidence of an earthquake at the same university when Henry Gordon was just after he wrote a paper about controlling earthquakes. One of the college's professors, one Rose did not know, walked onto the lawn and using a bullhorn loudly announced that classes were canceled until further notice and students needed to leave the lawn. Rose turned away and made a note to herself to call Mickey later, just to check that he was alright of course. She found her motorcycle tipped over and checked the blue bike for damage which to her relief there wasn't. Pulling on her gloves and her helmet, Rose zipped up her leather jacket and headed for home.

Rose unlocked the door of her flat and pulled off her jacket just as her mobile started ringing. Rose ignored the phone for a moment while she locked the door and put her keys and wallet on the kitchen island. Sighing, she checked the caller and answered it. As she expected it was her mother who had no doubt been informed of the earthquake. Rose spent the next twenty minutes promising her mother that she was alright before making the excuse that she should call Sharon and Shireen to tell them that she was safe. She didn't tell them about the UNIT investigation just yet as she didn't want to risk them trying to snoop around in London.

Setting down her phone, Rose glanced at the clock and sighed. She now had a day to kill since classes were canceled. Rose put the kettle on and turned on the news while she brought up local reports of the incident on her computer. The reporter's information was basic and nothing Rose did not already know, a small earthquake had shaken Cambridge and caused minor damage. The main point that grabbed her attention was confirmation that Cambridge was the epicenter of the earthquake. Whistling from the kettle drew Rose's attention away from the news and she calmly fixed herself a cup of tea. Returning to the sofa, Rose took a sip of her tea and moved her laptop onto her lap.

The news faded into the background of Rose's mind as she accessed Cambridge's server system. Rose blocked her own student information, not wanting to be connected to a hacking. Her first stop was the school's security feed. Nothing strange had been reported to the staff or security. According to them, the section of rock that had been shifted was blocked off until it could be verified that the ground was still stable.

There were no strange reports from any of the cameras, nothing strange from students and the professors had all gone about their days normally. Rose wasn't sure what she was looking for as she switched to looking at information on the school's energy systems. Even if Gordon had constructed his machine, it would consume far more power than could be used without attracting attention. Yet there was nothing, no strange power usages, not strange deliveries of computer parts or raw materials to his lab. There was just nothing which made Rose even more suspicious. She backed out of the system and closed her connection to the Cambridge server. Sighing, Rose leaned back against the sofa and bit her lip until a strange idea came to her. Quickly she pulled up the Cambridge Directory and smirked when she found the office information for Professor Henry Gordon.

Grabbing her things, Rose packed a small shoulder bag with the lock pick set UNIT had provided her with before sending her to Horath Academy, a few computer repair tools, a mini roll of duct tape and her small audio recorder that Jackie had given Rose for lectures. Rose pulled her hair into a lose ponytail and picked up her motorcycle things. The school was a still a mess when she arrived back with reporters moving around and talking with students who were greatly exaggerating the situation. Quickly, Rose moved past them without incident and headed for Gordon's office.

The Professor answered his door very quickly when Rose knocked. Henry Gordon was a tall man with dark brown hair that had spots of grey in it. He was a fairly attractive man wearing a neat black suit. Yet, the man gave Rose goose bumps as his eyes trailed over her body quickly and he put on what he probably thought was a charming smile.

"What can I do for you Miss?"

"I'm Rose Tyler Professor Gordon," Rose greeted pleasantly. "I'm a new student here at King's College."

"I see," Gordon said. "Well this is a nice change. The reporters have been calling me nonstop today since the earthquake. Please have a seat. I'm afraid I don't recognize you from any of my lectures."

Rose smiled and sat down in front of the professor's desk, shrugging out of her leather coat. "I'm actually a student of physics and computer science," she told him. "But after today my interest in geology has certainly grown and recently I read your paper on your proposed project for controlling aspects of the Earth's strata. I was hoping that you might tell me more about the department and that project."

"Well the Department of Earth Sciences is connected to the natural sciences course that you are already taking and as a first year student you'd be able to make some changes with ease. I'd even be willing to tutor you privately to help you catch up with the main classes," Gordon told her with a smile as his eyes dropped too long once again. "As for my recent paper that machine is a long way off."

"But the systems you proposed were brilliant," Rose gushed with a grin. "However did you think up those designs?" 

"Oh when I was working in the South Pacific I dabbled a touch," Gordon said with a flirty smile at the praise. "Although I am surprised at just how highly received it was."

"It was a brilliant bit of engineering," Rose said quickly. "Did you study that as well in school?"

"No Miss Tyler," Gordon said smoothly as he leaned forward. "I'm completely self-taught. Creativity and intuition are two of my strong points; I'm very skilled at finding new ways of achieving… satisfaction with a project"

Rose was trying to formulate a reply that would not require her flirting with the professor that she was now certain was sent away to avoid a scandal. Suddenly his phone began to beep and he glanced down at it. His eyes widened slightly with panic before he regained his calm exterior.

"I'm very sorry Miss Tyler that I have to cut this short," Professor Gordon said as he stood up and moved around the desk. "But please do come back and see me, I would love to discuss you transferring into my department."

"Are you sure that wouldn't be a problem," Rose asked as he escorted her to the door.

"Not at all," Gordon told her as he locked the door quickly. He touched Rose's arm and rubbed it with a smile, "I'd even make sure I was your advisor to make the transition as smooth as possible."

"I will think about your kind offer professor," Rose said with a forced smile. "Please don't let me keep you."

Rose watched the man dash off down the hall before she slipped her coat back on and suppressed the urge to shudder. She was now sure of three things: one he was involved in something, two he was a complete scumbag and three he was not in the office if she wanted to search it.


	3. Xylok of Earth: Armageddon Virus

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Three: Xylok of Earth: Armageddon Virus

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Sorry for the delay, I had some personal stuff take up my spare time. Good news, but it did require me focusing on real life.

The hallway wasn't monitored by cameras, the nearest ones being around the corner to track who entered the building and as this was a science building, Rose wasn't too worried. After all, she might not be a geology student, but she was still in the natural sciences tripos. The office door was a pin tumbler lock that only took Rose three minutes to open with her professional grade tools and with few people in the school there were no interruptions. She quickly slipped into the office and relocked the door behind her. Crossing the room, she pulled down the blind on the window quickly to avoid anyone seeing her from the lawn. This office was on the second floor so it wasn't likely, but Rose didn't want the police being called.

Scanning the desk and shelves, Rose looked for anything that did not belong. There were mineral samples and rocks displayed on many shelves along with textbooks and journal articles. Carefully Rose walked around the room, examining the shelves and pictures. There were multiple pictures of Professor Gordon in exotic locations with many different women, some barely older than Rose herself. Apparently Gordon was _that_ professor at Cambridge, but she supposed there was one in every university with tenure and no sense of decorum.

Rose paused at a set of books on the shelf, they were a heavy set of geological encyclopedias that looked incredibly dull, but one of the Ms was out of order. The stray volume also had less dust than those surrounding it, indicating that it was pulled out much more often. Carefully, Rose pulled out the volume and examined it in her hands. There was nothing special about it and Rose flipped it open to check of lose pages or to see if it was hollowed out. Finding nothing, Rose prepared to slide it back into place, but suddenly had an idea. She set the book to the side and reached through the empty space to feel the gap at the back of the shelf. Rose's hand brushed the edges of a smaller book and she adjusted herself so she could grab it. Carefully, Rose pulled the small notepad out from behind the books. Then she placed the encyclopedia volume back where she had found it.

Rose moved to the desk and set the note book in front of her as she sat down. Quickly, Rose opened it and scanned the pages. The first few pages contained some notes from the Krakatoa evacuation and the store houses from the explosion. Rose wouldn't have thought that an explosion from over one hundred years ago would still be of such interest. Then she turned the page and there was a photo of an odd large crystal formation tucked in the pages.

Rose frowned as she tried to understand the frantic notes about the strange structure of the crystal in the next few pages. Gordon's notes detailed that his new tests revealed some strange energy within the structure of the crystal. Then the handwriting became even worse and Rose could only make out a few of the frantically written words. His computer kept being mentioned and Rose held the notes close to her eyes so that she could decipher the words. Gordon kept talking about the crystal speaking to him with the computer or something like that. Shaking her head, Rose put the notebook back on the desk and rubbed her eyes. Then she flipped through the next few pages and smirked at Gordon's sloppy designs for new machines and technology. However, she quickly noticed that he kept using the wrong electrical engineering words and terms for basic concepts.

Shaking her head, Rose set the book on the desk and stood up so she could pull the small camera from her bag. Carefully she photographed each of the strange pages with the camera, double checking that the images were clear enough for her use and slipped the camera back into her bag. Picking up the book, Rose returned to the bookshelf and carefully slipped Gordon's notebook back into the hiding place behind the encyclopedias.

Rose returned to the desk and turned her attention to the computer. It was a simple desktop model, the sort she had repaired numerous times and she booted it up. To be honest, she was bit surprised that Gordon wasn't using a laptop computer. The desk was locked, but Rose had it open in a brief moment with another lock pick. As she suspected, Gordon had his password written on a small slip of paper and taped to the inside of the top drawer. Entering in the information, Rose waited quietly while the computer booted up and brought up Gordon's information. A quick scan of the desktop items revealed nothing of interest so Rose opened the computer files and began to search for terms that she remembered from Gordon's notebook.

Buried several subfiles into his system in a basic password protected folder were several documents and plans; Rose was into the file in less than a minute. Opening them up one by one, any doubts the Rose had about Gordon being connected to something alien were being bashed. Each plan detailed advanced equipment that was unlike anything Rose had ever seen. One plan she recognized as a type of computer interface, but she could not understand the main processing and hard drive elements as the plan simply contained the image of a crystal. Frowning, Rose opened the next document and read through it. The whole thing was very strange with Gordon describing the construction of the "body" and the protection needed to protect the "mind" from computer viruses. Rose reread the section, unsure if it really said what she though it did.

She dug a flash drive out of her bag, the one she used for schoolwork, and hooked it up to the computer. Beginning the transfer, Rose turned to attention back to the rest of the desk to see if there was anything else strange. Most of the desk had papers that were in the process of being graded and drafts of papers that Gordon seemed to be working on. Rose was about to give up on the desk search when her hand brushed the flat surface at the top of a drawer. Something had been taped out of sight. Slipping out of the chair and onto the floor, Rose carefully peeled away the tape and let the item drop into her hand.

It was a computer disk in a sealed case. Turning it so she could read the label, Rose gasped loudly unable to contain her surprise. According to the seal, the disk inside contained the Armageddon virus to be delivered to Professor Michael James at Cambridge. He wasn't one of Rose's professors since he only taught upper level courses in computer programming, but she knew his reputation as an expert in cyberterriorism. If she remembered correctly, the Armageddon virus was rumored to be the virus used on an attack of the banking industry the year before. It made sense that a copy would have been sent to Professor James so he could identify the creators and how to combat it, but Rose wasn't sure why Professor Gordon would have stolen it. She decided against putting it back, slipping it into her bag and locked the desk back up after making sure that everything else was in its place.

Once the transfer was finished, Rose removed her flash drive and shut the system down. She double checked that everything was the way Gordon had left it and walked to the front door. Pausing, she listened for any sound of movement in the hall way before she left the office, locking the door behind her. Rose took a different route out of the building to avoid drawing attention to the fact that she had spent almost forty minutes in the same hallway.

When she arrived home, Rose found Mickey sitting on her sofa and flipped through the channels of her television. He glanced up at her and smirked, gesturing to a set of lock picks that were sitting on the table in front of him.

"Where have you been Rose?" Mickey asked as she set her bag down. "Classes were canceled."

"Why are you here?" Rose asked crossing her arms across her chest.

"I'm just making sure that you're staying out of this Gordon thing," Mickey said as he switched off the television and picked up his things. "But I have a feeling that you aren't."

"That is not your concern Mickey," Rose replied sharply. "Not unless UNIT is having you watch me on top of Gordon." 

"No, nothing like that," Mickey promised. "But I know you Rose Tyler." Rose wasn't sure how to respond to that, so she turned to put her leather coat and bag away. Mickey sighed loudly behind her. "I figured you were nosing into it. Have you hacked UNIT yet?"

"Yes," Rose admitted turning back to Mickey. "Curiosity got the best of me."

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"Your point," Rose asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Look if you won't stay out of it, just promise me that you'll be careful."

Rose smiled softly, "That I can promise. Just remember that I'm not defenseless."

"Yeah, I know you've got a mystical golden sword."

"I'm a Star Knight," Rose corrected him with a firm nod. "Are you staying for dinner?" Rose asked. 

"No," Mickey said with a grin. "I have a date tonight, if you hadn't shown up in the next hour I was going to settle for leaving a note."

"A date," Rose said with a grin. "Anyone I know?" 

"I doubt it," Mickey said as he pulled on his coat. "Her name is Marie Dawson, she's an archeology student."

"Nope, don't know her," Rose said with a smile. "Have fun, I hope it goes well."

"Me too," Mickey said before he kissed Rose's cheek quickly. "And make sure you tell Sharon and Shireen to stay out of this Gordon business."

"I don't promise anything on that front," Rose said. "But I haven't told them about it."

"Good, see you babe," Mickey said as he went out the front door.

Rose shook her head and locked the front door before she went over to her desk. Taking out her flash drive, she began transferring Gordon's files to her computer for viewing. Walking into the kitchen, Rose turned on the oven, she had skipped lunch to break into Gordon's office and while it was a bit early, she was hungry. Rose spent the next hour enlarging the photos she had taken and printing out the various plans, notes and documents she had taken from Gordon. Around a meal of fish fingers, Rose poured over the bad handwriting of Professor Henry Gordon and tried to find the connections.

Classes resumed normally on Thursday which meant that after only two hours of sleep and a quick shower, Rose had to attend her normal courses. Normally with alien activity in the area, Rose would have deemed school less important, but Cambridge was at the center of all of it. Worried about something new happening, Rose packed up all of Gordon's notes and the computer disk in her bag and kept them with her.

Professor Chesterton glanced at Rose curiously as he arrived for the chemistry class. Rose couldn't blame him, between the last two nights she had maybe six hours of sleep and concealer could only do so much. Forcing a smile, Rose pulled out her things and waited patiently for class to start. Professor Chesterton sent one more worried look at her before he started putting the chemistry equations for the day up on the board. Rose paused at a slight low hissing sound and looked around. She found the source was the ventilation duct at the back of the room and shrugged it off. While it was odd that the school would have the heating turned on in October, she supposed they may just be testing the system after yesterday's earthquake. As the other students came in, Rose chuckled at the various conversations about the earthquake and suggestions that classes for the week should have been canceled.

Professor Chesterton started his lecture and about half an hour in Rose noticed that he was frowning at the back row. She turned slightly and blinked in surprise, several students were asleep in the back row and others were not far behind. Professor Chesterton left the front of the room and shook the shoulder of the nearest sleeping student. Rose stood up as the student next to her suddenly dropped off and started snoring. Reaching over, she shook his shoulder, but he didn't wake up. Rose turned to Professor Chesterton who was trying to wake up another student with no luck. The next minute was filled with them desperately trying to wake students as everyone in the room, but the two of them fell asleep. Professor Chesterton looked up at Rose who shrugged in confusion and grabbed her things.

Ian returned to his desk and pulled out his mobile just as it started to ring. Rose watched him quietly while he had a low and rushed conversation with someone on the other end. After a moment he snapped the phone shut and pulled on his coat over his suit.

"That was my wife Barbara, everyone in her classroom and the two on either side have fallen asleep and she can't wake them. Come along Rose." 

Rose darted after the remarkably quick professor as he left the room in a hurry. They glanced into all lecture halls and offices that they passed, but the result was the same. Everyone was still asleep and Rose could feel Ian's eyes traveling over to her every few seconds.

"Any thoughts on what could cause this?"

"I heard the venting system turn on earlier," Ian told her. "I suppose something could have been introduced that way."

"Why isn't it affecting us?" Rose asked as she followed her advisor down the stairs to the main hall. A tall woman with dark brown hair that was pulled back in an elegant bun was waiting for them. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of Rose and she looked at Ian in surprise.

"How is she still awake?" Barbara asked sharply. "Everyone in my classes and in my department has fallen asleep and cannot be woken."

"Why aren't you two asleep?" Rose asked, crossing her arms stubbornly.

"Calm down," Ian said quickly and then he paused. "Rose, my wife and I have special white blood cells that give us a greater immunity to infectious diseases and foreign materials. If something was introduced to the school that was foreign and caused everyone to fall asleep, our bodies are more able to fight it."

"White blood cells," Rose repeated looking at them. "How did that happen?"

"An alien," Barbara said suddenly. "We were exposed to something called the Time Vortex."

"My theory is that a time traveler's white blood cells are mutated so they don't contaminate different time periods," Ian said. "But right now we need to focus on what is happening here."

"The Doctor, right?" Rose said, surprising them both. "You traveled with the Doctor in the TARDIS, didn't you?"

"Yes," Barbara said in surprise. "You as well?" 

"I guess one trip is all it takes for the mutation," Rose said softly. "But yeah I know the Doctor. That means we're on the same side and I can trust you."

"Do you know what is happening?" Ian asked.

"I think first thing we need to find Professor Gordon," Rose said. "He's behind whatever is happening here at Cambridge." Rose pulled out the notes she had printouts of, "I couldn't read most of this, but maybe you can."

Barbara Chesterton took the notes from Rose and frowned, "This is very bad handwriting."

"I know," Rose said. "There is something about a crystal that was released onto the surface by the explosion of the Krakatoa. He has notes about some computer system, but there isn't a hard drive or core information system inside it. I just can't read his handwriting."

"I'll work on this." Barbara said, "And I'll see if I can reach someone who can help."

"Try calling UNIT," Rose said quickly. "They had a team here, but they were probably hit by … whatever knocked everyone out."

"I will," Barbara said with a nod. "I have my phone Ian, you and Rose be careful."

Ian touched Rose's shoulder, "Come on, let's check and see if Gordon is in his office. If he is behind this than he won't have been gassed."

"Right," Rose said and with one last glance back at Barbara she followed Ian towards Professor Gordon's office.

They were both quiet as they walked down the hallway towards Gordon's office, listening to the soft snoring sounds were flowing out of the lecture halls and classrooms. Rose felt a sense of déjà vu as she turned the corner with Ian to reach Gordon's office. Inside she could hear someone moving around frantically and Ian knocked on the door.

"Let us in Gordon!" Ian shouted, but they could only hear weak cries from inside. Ian tried to force the door open, but Rose pulled out the lock picks from her bag, grateful that she hadn't taken them out the night before. It seemed like they were finally getting a real workout.

When she got the door unlocked, Ian moved in front of her protectively and opened the door. Gordon was lying on the floor, clutching his chest and breathing hard. Ian rushed forward and pulled Gordon's hand back from his chest. Blood was oozing out of a deep wound and small spikes were poking out of Gordon's skin.

"Chesterton," Gordon groaned. "It tricked me, it used me."

"What used you?" Rose asked as Ian pulled off his suit jacket and tried to stop the blood flow.

"The Xylok," Gordon groaned. "It said that it wanted to help, it would make me great. I thought it might betray my secrets one day, but I never imagined." He groaned softly and his movements lessened. Rose looked over at Ian who shook his head. "No stopping it," Gordon whispered.

"Stopping what?" Rose asked. "Where is it and what is it going to do?"

Then they all stopped moving as the building started to shake as another earthquake vibrated the area. "Too late," Gordon sighed shaking his head. "I thought the powder would cure all diseases so I did what it said. My hubris is the destruction of Earth."

"Destruction?" Ian repeated in alarm.

Rose grabbed Gordon's chin and forced him to look at her. "Where is it?" 

"My lab," Gordon groaned. "I'm sorry."

Rose was about to ask him something else when his breathing slowed and his eyes glassed over. Ian grabbed her and pulled her up as the building continued to shake. Pulling her into the door frame they waited for the earthquake to stop, but it didn't. The building just kept shaking. A moment later, Ian's phone rang and he hit the speakerphone.

"Ian? Are you alright?" Barbara's voice asked urgently. 

"We're fine. Gordon is dead," Ian replied quickly.

"Please tell us you have something," Rose pled as the earthquake continued.

"The crystal is alive Rose," Barbara told her quickly. "It is the heart of the computer and it is alien. Gordon found it and built a full computer body ro it in exchange for it giving him help as a scientist and inventor. It is causing the earthquakes with Gordon's machine. It is real and it is in his lab. You have to hurry."

"How can we stop it?" Ian asked and Rose grinned.

"We use Gordon's insurance policy," Rose said. "A computer virus."


	4. Xylok of Earth: The Xylok

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Four: Xylok of Earth: The Xylok

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: I finally gave into the full control of my muse and lengthen the planned story to a full thirteen "episodes" like the show. So this is going to be really long, but I added some extra Doctor appearances and more one shot adventures to break up my plot heavy "episodes" and heavy emotional scenes. This has now become the Defender of the Earth series we never got.

Ian and Rose were running towards Gordon's lab as everything continued to shake. Certainly the shaking wasn't very strong, but Rose could imagine that the machine was slowly being used to alter the stability of planet Earth. If surface destruction wasn't the real point of the … Xylok's plot then something underground must have been the thing of interest.

"How will you upload the virus?" Ian asked her.

"I'm not sure yet," Rose said. "But Gordon had it in his desk, probably to make sure the machine didn't expose him so I'm guessing that means that there is a CD or DVD drive on the machine."

"You're guessing?"

"I haven't seen this machine," Rose shouted back. "But his backup plan wouldn't be something he couldn't use!"

When they reached the door to the lab, Rose dropped to her knee and quickly pulled out her small lock picking tool set. Unlike Gordon's office, this door was sealed by a series of three locks all with different keys by the lock of the locks. As she set to work on the bottom lock, Rose vaguely heard Ian pull out his phone and call Barbara again for information and a status update. Personally, Rose was hoping that UNIT London would call in the local force to help put this machine down. Rose was through the second lock, when Ian hung up and turned to Rose with a very pale face.

"The local UNIT troops were taken out by whatever Gordon put in the vent systems, it has spread across the city now. All of Cambridge is asleep and can't help us. Barbara got through to UNIT London, but it will take them an hour to arrive."

"Okay," Rose said as she worked on the third lock. "How much time have we got?"

"Apparently the planet can only take another twenty-five minutes of this before it cracks apart. The damage on the surface in England isn't bad so far, but the vibrations are earthquakes all around the world and tidal waves. It is destabilizing the interior of the Earth"

"Why is there always a time limit?" Rose growled as she cracked open the last lock and stood up. Taking a deep breath and glancing at Ian who nodded, she shoved open the door.

The lab space was very dark, but illuminated on the far side by a large machine built from the scraps of numerous computers. At the front was a large panel with a crystal nestled among circuits that was glowing slightly. A large screen was showing the energy levels of the earth shaper machine and tracking the damage.

"Humans that are still awake," a deep masculine voice that surprised Rose said. "Interesting that you escaped my formula to put you to sleep. I had planned to prevent any interference."

"Stop using the machine," Rose said as she stepped forward. "You're causing damage that will rip Earth apart."

"And release the Xylok from beneath the planet's crust where it has been buried for 60 million years."

"That will kill billions of people," Ian said stepping into the room. "All of humanity will be destroyed."

"The Xylok are a crystalline life form, we crashed here as what you humans call a meteorite. But now, deep within the Earth our crystals have regrown and become strong again. The release of the Xylok is my purpose and Henry Gordon served me well."

"You'll destroy my entire species," Rose said taking a cautious step forward towards the large computer.

"The universe is better served by our survival, child. We will do so much more than the human race."

Rose was close enough now to see a CD drive in the main system that was connected to the crystal structure. She didn't have to guess that it was an upload system and Gordon's backup plan. Glancing sideways at Ian as he crept forward to join her, Rose slipped a hand into her bag and pulled out the disk. In the moment she took her eyes off the machine, a small turret rose up from the system and pointed what Rose had the bad feeling was a laser right at her.

"Henry Gordon put laser weapons into you?!"

"Henry Gordon had no idea what he was building," the machine laughed. "He did everything exactly as I instructed him to. I put all the humans to sleep to ensure that nothing interferes with this final phase. Be grateful that you will die quickly."

"What about everyone else?" Rose asked as she carefully handed the disk to Ian. He seemed to understand and slipped to the side away from the gun, despite the look of worry on his face as his eyes darted between Rose and the computer. "You've been here millions of years. You've seen us evolve and grow," Rose insisted to the Xylok. "Doesn't that matter at all?"

"My purpose is to free the Xylok child, all sentient beings have a purpose and I will fulfill mine."

Rose nodded to Ian and gestured quickly towards the CD drive before she called forth her sword with a strong mental call. The ticklish feeling of the atoms brushing across her inner wrist lasted only a moment before the golden blade shimmered before her. Gripping her sword tightly, Rose shifted into a defensive position and eyed the laser weapon carefully. She trusted the sword and herself, but she had to keep the Xylok's attention on her and not Ian. A split second later the Xylok fired and a bolt of red energy shot towards Rose.

Maybe it was the sword reacting to Rose's need through the telepathic link, but Rose would swear that she moved faster than ever before. The sword deflected the energy bolts that fired at her, knocking them away from herself and Ian. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Ian crawling forward on the lab floor, under the stream of fire towards the machine. Forcing herself to focus, Rose continued to hit and deflect the blasts, jumping out of the way of those she could and sending others back at the computer. It was sparking, but the ground continued to shake slightly beneath them indicating that damaging it wasn't going to be enough.

Ian reached the machine and opened the CD drive and tearing open the disk with his teeth. Staying out of the gun's range of fire, he slipped the disk inside and pushed it into the computer. He flinched as the firing continued and Rose kept up her deflection of the energy blasts. Then the gun stopped and a skull and crossbones sign appeared on the computer screen along with a series of messages that streamed past too quickly for Rose to make out. The crystal began to glow a light green color and flicker slightly.

"What have you done to me?" The Xylok forced out. "I feel…. I feel strange."

Pushing himself off of the ground, Ian stood and joined Rose in the middle of the lab, gaping at the massive computer. He glanced towards her sword, but seemed to shake off his questions for the time being.

"We've uploaded you with a computer virus that wipes programing and data," Rose informed the Xylok, "You're losing your memory."

"No… the speed of light is thirty-six no eighty-four… I'm forgetting it all."

"And without your memories you have no purpose," Ian said triumphantly. "Without purpose you don't need to destroy the Earth."

"My purpose…" the Xylok groaned. "I've forgotten my purpose."

"Your purpose is to save the Earth," Rose said, allowing her sword to revert back to her bracelet as she moved forward. "Use the machine to stabilize the Earth and then shut it down. You purpose is to protect the Earth and humanity."

"Protect the Earth, yes I have a purpose," the Xylok repeated. "Thank you."

There was another tremor that knocked Ian off his feet and left Rose scrambling for something to hold onto. Then the shaking stopped and everything stilled. Rose looked back at the screen in time to see it go black and heard the humming of the massive machine stop. Looking over at Ian, Rose sighed in relief and held out her hand to help him up. His phone started ringing and he answered it with a relived grin.

"Your wife?" Rose asked.

"She's alright," Ian said quickly. "I'm going to go help her check on everyone who was inside. Hopefully nothing collapsed." Ian started to move for the door before he turned back to Rose, "And we will be talking about this Miss Tyler."

"Yes, Professor Chesterton," Rose said politely with a smile.

The dark haired man nodded to her before he rushed out of the room. Rose knew that UNIT troops would be on their way up and hopefully they'd be able to figure out how to make everyone wake up. She really should be going to help Ian and Barbara check the rooms to protect the slumbering humans from damage. Instead Rose slowly moved towards the machine that was still sparking from their fire fight earlier. Gently she touched the crystal; it was warm to the touch and still humming slightly. Leaning over the controls, Rose carefully disconnected the crystal from each of the electronic hookup. She then lifted the crystal out of the computer and looked at it.

To her human mind that had only ever met humanoid aliens like the Doctor, Eve and Alenica or beings of pure energy like Odd Bob and the manifestation of the Mona Lisa, this felt completely alien. A true physical alien. This crystal was a life form, the last of the Xyloks not sealed within her own planet. It had almost destroyed Earth and yet now it felt so fragile. Rose was aware that she could simply smash it and end the threat of the Xyloks forever. Instead, she looked around the room and spotted a small bag near a work table that had toppled over during the quake. Rose picked it up and emptied the tools out of the bag before grabbing a scarf of Gordon's that was hung near the door. She wrapped the Xylok up gently and placed it into the tool bag.

"I'm going to help you," Rose said softly unsure if it could understand her like this. "You've been reprogrammed to help Earth so I'm not going to hurt you."

Rose placed the tool bag near the door so she could grab it on her way out. Returning to the machine, Rose pried out the disk with the Armageddon virus and put it back into the case Ian had dropped on the floor. Summoning her sword to her hand, Rose brought the alien metal down hard against the main controls. The main section collapsed inward, having already been weakened by the laser energy. She continued to slice at the machine until there were gaping holes in it. Then Rose returned her sword to its bracelet form and grabbed a plastic office chair from the corner. Smashing the machine was oddly therapeutic and would hide the fact that Rose had taken the Xylok from UNIT. When the machine had been reduced to twisted metal forms and scattered parts, Rose put the chair down and headed for the door. She grabbed the tool bag and dashed back out into the main hall.

Pictures and paintings had fallen to the floor in the shaking, but Rose didn't see much in the way of real serious damage. A lot of furniture had shifted, but all the rooms she glanced into were mostly intact with no collapses. Rose sighed in relief and continued her trek out to her motorcycle. The parking lot was a mess with some cars having slid into each other. Rose's motorcycle had fallen onto the grass, but was tangled up with two other motorcycles. Quickly, Rose dug her bike out from under the odd pile up and unlocked the storage box on the back of the bike. She adjusted her helmet and gloves so she could slip the tool bag into the box. When that was done, Rose locked the box back up and gently laid her motorcycle back down on the ground, sighing at the thought of the scratches and dings she was going to be dealing with.

It did not take her long to find Ian and Barbara in the main hall. Ian grinned at her as she ran up to them and despite not knowing Rose; Barbara pulled her into a hug. "Are you hurt?" Barbara asked quickly.

"I'm alright," Rose promised. "I just needed to destroy the computer, you know just in case."

The look Ian gave her was slightly suspicious, but then his lips quirked into a smile. "Well there isn't a lot of damage up here and we haven't found any injuries beyond some cuts and scrapes due to people being tossed on the floor. We were lucky."

"The damage seems to be from the length of the earthquakes," Barbara added. "They weren't very strong, just above our ability to perceive, but I suspect it was a lot worse at fault points."

Rose moved through the school rooms with the married couple, carefully moving the still sleeping humans away from any debris or overturned furniture. For a short time Ian and Barbara remained completely focused on this task, but as the initial rush of fear began to wear off Barbara looked over at Rose.

"How did you meet him?"

Rose paused and smiled before she returned to moving a table away from sleeping people. "I was eleven when I first met the Doctor," Rose said. "An alien was abducting children in my area and I got pulled into the event." 

"First met?" Ian asked, having caught Rose's statement. 

"I've seen him a few times," Rose told him. "In a few different bodies too."

"Different bodies?" Ian and Barbara both asked glancing at each other.

"Oh you don't know about…"

"We've heard a few things from UNIT," Ian said. "They approached us about twenty years ago and talked to us about the Doctor. One of the men talking to us… a John Benton asked about his appearance when we knew him."

"That explains how you knew what I meant," Rose said thoughtfully.

"Oh UNIT seems to track people who know the Doctor," Barbara said. "They just said to call if we ever came across any alien problems. I'm afraid they didn't actually tell us much."

"UNIT doesn't share much information," Rose agreed. "But the Doctor has friends within UNIT. I seem to find people who are friends of the Doctor's."

The conversation was cut short by the sound of a helicopter overhead and the sudden sound of car doors slamming. Turning to Ian and Barbara, Rose smiled and said, "UNIT's here."

Barbara looked at Rose thoughtfully as they headed for the door of the room to go and meet UNIT. "Given that I doubt we'll have a chance to talk in the next few hours, I want you to come over for dinner this weekend. We'll talk more then; things will be chaos until then."

"Sounds good," Rose said with a slightly nervous smile. Ian gave her a quick wink as he took his wife's hand and they moved ahead of Rose. Sighing, Rose rolled her sore shoulders and followed them out onto the lawn.

UNIT had driven up right onto the grass; of course the parking lots were a mess so Rose couldn't really blame them. A large lorry had been parked nearby and Rose recognized it right away as the mobile command post that had been brought up to Horath Academy. Ian and Barbara were stopped by two soldiers who quickly directed them towards the medical teams that were unloading. A female private that Rose did not recognize walked up to her and saluted her sharply.

"It is a honor Miss Tyler," the woman told her. "I'm Private Henderson, please follow me. The General's helicopter just landed and he wants to speak with you immediately."

"Of course," Rose said as she calmly followed Private Henderson. "Debriefings are the most enjoyable part of these incidents," Rose muttered sarcastically.

The mobile command hadn't changed much in the last few years, not that Rose would have noticed little differences given how little time she spent in it. Many of the soldiers inside looked up at her and Rose heard a few whispers that made her slightly uncomfortable as she could make out her name and nothing else. A guard stood at the door to the General's office and stepped to the side to allow Rose and Private Henderson entrance.

General Lethbridge-Stewart was sitting at his desk, a television screen behind him was running a report of the horrible earthquakes while on mute and a stack of reports were piled next to his right hand. He gave Rose a tired and slightly irritated look as he motioned for her to take a seat. Rose quietly sat down and waited for the General to start.

"Why are you always finding trouble Tyler?" the General asked after a long moment.

"I'm jeopardy friendly," Rose replied with a shrug. "I don't plan these things you know."

"I know," the General chuckled. "But you have shot all the statistics to hell with your personal history."

"There is always an exception to a rule," Rose replied with a small smirk. "I suppose I'm that rule's exception." 

"Yes, we'll talk about that later," the General said as he turned on a recorder and called in Private Henderson. "For now, tell me what happened for the reports."

Rose recounted her becoming aware of the UNIT presence on Cambridge University campus in the best way she could so Mickey wouldn't get into trouble. Tentatively she confessed to hacking into UNIT and promised to write the General a report of the weaknesses for Toshiko. Rose blushed as she admitted to breaking into Professor Gordon's office and was highly aware of the raised eyebrow of the General. His eyes traveled to Rose's bracelet when she described the fight between herself and the computer in order to give Ian a chance to upload the virus and her destruction of the computer to make sure that Gordon's machine wasn't reactivated.

She had only just finished when Colonel Benton entered the room as Private Henderson left to send the report to Geneva. He gave Rose a small smile and a nod before walking over to the General and handed him a sheet of paper. "All the affected humans are waking up and the last traces of the compound have faded from the atmosphere."

"Excellent, has a cover story for the sleeping been put out?"

"Yes General, the earthquake released an experimental compound from the university that was in the early stages of testing."

"What was the final damage?" Rose asked, drawing their attention back.

Benton glanced at the General who nodded to him. "The damage in England wasn't too bad Miss Tyler," Benton informed her. "The earthquakes were registering at just over 3.5 on the Meracalli scale and were very deep inside the Earth so surface damage is low. This triggered larger earthquakes along fault lines. California, Peru, Tanzania, Greece, Indonesia and eastern Russia all suffered more intense earthquakes." At Rose's downcast look, Benton added, "It could have been a lot worse Miss Tyler, you did great."

The Colonel said a few more words quietly to the General and with one last glace at Rose left the room. Rose looked back at the General and shifted uncomfortably, he knew something else was up, Rose was confident of that as the General calmly regarded her. Lethbridge-Stewart stared at Rose for a long moment before he picked up a briefcase next to his desk and unlocked it. Pulling out a file, he handed it to Rose across the desk.

"This is for you to go through. Geneva will want an answer soon however," he told her, smirking slightly at Rose's confusion.

Rose opened the file and blinked in surprise as she found herself glancing over a contract. "I don't understand," Rose said as she looked up at him.

"Your record outshines many UNIT officers across the globe and you have been extremely successful in both protecting the planet and making a good impression on peaceful aliens." The General smiled slightly, "After the incident with the Durmion Princess Geneva Command began considering what capacity you could be brought into UNIT. You do not qualify to be a science advisor and I informed them that you had no interest in enlisting. That contract has been specially drafted to create the Special Civilian Consultant position. UNIT would be able to call you in when facing situations that require your… interesting talents."

Rose blinked at the General in slight shock and looked back down at the contract. "I'll need time to look at this," Rose told him. "I won't just sign it."

"I don't doubt that," the General said. "However as I'm sure you can imagine you cannot take it to a lawyer. It was written to be as simple as possible. You are not required to take a mission you don't want, you don't fall under the normal chain of command and your salary falls under the U.N. consultant scale. The position was created with you in mind so there is a great deal more… flexibility being given to you."

"UNIT does hate to upset the Doctor," Rose teased with a small smile. "I've noticed that anyone he likes gets a lot of leeway."

"To a certain point," the General said with a nod. "But make no mistake Tyler, this offer is the first of its kind so do not undertake it lightly."

Rose nodded vaguely and closed the folder. "I'll let you know by the end of the week," she promised. "Once I read everything through."

"Very well," the General stood from his seat. "And on the behalf of UNIT I thank you for assisting today. This was a close call as it was."

"Yes sir," Rose replied. "I'm sure you've got a lot to do."

Private Henderson was waiting outside the door and showed Rose out of the command unit. Once outside, Rose searched for Ian and Barbara, but did not see them amongst the people around the medical team. Rose smiled softly at the sight of her fellow students being treated for broken limbs, blows to the head and some bleeding, but everyone would recover and they weren't in comas. Her thoughts briefly turned to Gordon, but she shook thoughts of him off as she walked towards the parking lot. Pulling out her phone, Rose flinched at the realization that her battery was dead and that her mother must be frantic with worry. When she reached her bike, Rose pulled out her helmet and checked the crystal. The next few hours would be very busy and she suspected classes were not going to be an issue for a while.


	5. Xylok of Earth: Tea and Biscuits

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Five: Xylok of Earth: Tea and Biscuits

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Doctor Who canon is a mess, the television show, books, radio plays and specials rarely match up. For me what appears onscreen takes priority unless it is really stupid (Doctor Who movie) or isn't created by the BBC (K9 show) and I will use elements from books that I think make sense because most of them are a mess. I confess that I am a fan of Cartmel Masterplan and often draw inspiration from that since that was the time writers of Doctor Who were finally trying to work on continuity and expanding the scale of Doctor Who. And those of you that have never watched the Doctor Who movie consider yourselves fortunate and stay far away from it.

Her mother was fine and that was the single most important thing to Rose now that the world wasn't ended. Jackie had already spoken to Sharon and Shireen and assured Rose that both of her friends were okay. Rose allowed her mother to believe that she had been caught in the chemical cloud released from a science lab at Cambridge and in reality she had been. According to Ian and Barbara she just wasn't affected by the chemicals because she now had super white blood cells. She supposed that it made sense for the TARDIS to sterilize time and space travelers to avoid them spreading diseases into another period. Rose herself may have antibodies that carried immunity to many diseases, but a person in 1532 would probably drop dead if she sneezed on them since the bacteria would be more evolved. It was an aspect of time travel that Rose hadn't thought about before and the more she considered it, the more interesting it was.

Despite her mother's assurances, Rose called everyone listed in her mobile to make sure that her friends were all alright. Sharon and Shireen both demanded full details so Rose jumped onto a three ways call. According to the news, damage in England and most of Europe hadn't been bad due to the depth of the earthquakes. The west coast of the United States had suffered more damage, but few deaths due to their building habits for earthquakes. Other places hadn't been so lucky and Rose had to shut the television off in disgust. It was estimated that more than a thousand people had died in building collapses and landslides across the globe. The Xylok was still tucked away in the old tool bag and sitting on her kitchen table. Rose hadn't completely decided what to do with it. It was a living thing so handing it off to UNIT like a piece of technology didn't feel right and the advanced scientific information it had provided Gordon with meant it could be dangerous on accident. Of course she had also given it a new purpose to protect the Earth which Rose knew made the Xylok her responsibility.

There was only one number Rose hadn't called and she stared at the TARDIS number for a short time before she put the phone aside in favor of checking email. It was no surprise that classes were canceled for the rest of the week and all of next week so the school could be checked for damage from the earthquake and making sure that all the strange powder was gone. An email from Ian listed his and Barbara's home address and a good time for her to come over. It also assured Rose that both he and Barbara were okay. Closing her laptop, Rose sat down on her sofa and picked her phone back up. The Chestertons had known the Doctor. They hadn't known about regeneration, but clearly they had traveled with him long enough to recognize an alien situation and stay calm. Rose's mind went back to Rome and the older man who had spoken to her of his granddaughter before he disappeared into the TARDIS. She knew so very little about him and yet had something of a relationship with him. Since he left her home in August Rose hadn't seen or spoken with him, or least hadn't seen or spoken with an incarnation of him that knew her.

Before she could change her mind, Rose dialed the TARDIS and waited. The phone rang three times and Rose was about to give up when suddenly it was answered and she heard the brown-eyed Doctor's voice say hello.

"Hello Doctor," Rose answered trying to keep her nervousness out of her voice.

"Rose," he said her name gently and Rose melted slightly at the tone.

"I met Ian and Barbara Chesterton today," Rose informed him. "I'm having dinner with them in two days once things settle a bit around here."

"That was today?" The Doctor's voice had a slightly nervous tone that made Rose smirk slightly despite her attempt at self-control.

"Yeah," she replied. "So uh if there is anything you want me to hear from you instead of them… well we could talk."

"You're at your flat in Cambridge, Brooksland Avenue right?"

"That's right," Rose said in mild surprise expecting a phone conversation.

"Right then, see you in a moment."

The line went silent, startling Rose and a second later a familiar wheezing sound began to echo in her apartment. Jumping up, Rose dashed over to her desk and moved a heavy book on top of the loose papers by her computer. Turning back to the materializing TARDIS, Rose nervously fidgeted and glanced down at her clothing. She was wearing form fitting blue jeans and an attractive shirt, but wasn't wearing any shoes. A moment later Rose quickly pulled her hair out of the hair tie and let her hair fall loose before slipping the hair tie into a desk drawer. The TARDIS finished materializing a moment later and the Doctor stepped out into her living room.

Smiling, Rose bravely stepped forward and hugged him. His arms came around her tightly and he clung to her for a long time before loosening his grip enough for her to step back. Rose was desperate not to let her nervousness show and smiled at him. "How about a cup of tea?" 

"Tea would be great," the Doctor told her with a relieved smile, reminding her a little bit of that stray animal again.

"Great, just have a seat and I'll be the kettle on."

As she walked into the kitchen, Rose could see that the Doctor was not taking a seat, but instead looking at the books and pictures on her shelves. He had a soft smile on his face, but traces of the weariness and sorrow remained. He looked better than the first time she had seen this incarnation, but she could guess that her future self hadn't been found yet or come back from whatever had happened. While waiting for her kettle, Rose made a small plate of chocolate biscuits and took them out to the table. The Doctor sat down on her sofa and smiled up at her.

"So it was the Xylok today right?"

"Yes," Rose responded before pointing over to the tool bag. "I haven't decided what to do with it yet." At his raised eyebrow Rose shrugged, "Its actions killed people, but it is the only Xylok left on the surface and it's been reprogrammed to protect Earth over freeing the rest of the Xylok. I feel responsible for it I suppose."

He nodded with understanding and Rose nodded in return realizing that if one person in the universe understood that, it would be him. "I don't suppose you can hint to me what I will do with it."

"Future information hunting Rose," the Doctor teased.

"Well I've got a Xylok on my kitchen table, a transdimensional time machine in my living room, a Time Lord on my sofa and a UNIT contract on my coffee table that I need to decide upon. All things considered I think my confusion is warranted."

"You're not sure if you want to work for UNIT?" The Doctor asked with a touch of surprise creeping into his voice.

"I'd like to," Rose said. "It would be easier than this weird relationship I have with them now and Colonel Adams was a long time ago. I can't keep operating like I expect every UNIT soldier to shoot me." She saw the Doctor's eyes darken and she reached over to take his hand, slipping their fingers against each other. Her actions were rewarded by him relaxing and his features softening. "But I dread reading through that contract."

"I could take a look," the Doctor offered.

"You going to be my lawyer with UNIT then," Rose asked with a grin, her tongue slipping out between her teeth.

"Well that would scare them if you had a problem," the Doctor responded with a laugh. "You could just threaten to call me."

"That might be part of why they offered me the job," Rose said thoughtfully. "They may be counting on you showing up if things get dangerous for me."

"Well…yes," The Doctor replied, the nervous tone back. "I mean if you called and said you needed help I'd come. Of course I'd come."

The sudden whistle of the tea kettle made Rose jump slightly and she handed the folder with the UNIT contract to the Doctor. "Still three sugars?" Rose asked, remembering how he liked his tea at her house in August.

"Yeah, in this body anyway. I preferred only two sugars in my last one. Few bodies back I drank it with milk and four sugars," the Doctor said as he pulled on his glasses and started to read the contract. Rose gaped at him for a moment before pushing her hormones back into line and almost rushed into the kitchen.

When Rose returned with their tea and more biscuits, the Doctor had finished reading the contract. Calmly, Rose listened to him summarize and declare that there was nothing she had to be worried about in the contract. Based on his earlier comment and her own thoughts on the matter, Rose was fairly certain that she would take the job. Deep down, she loved this sort of life and it seemed like trouble would find her no matter what.

To Rose's surprise the Doctor asked about her classes and her mother as he settled back against her sofa his eyes drinking her in. He was quiet for a long time and just listened to Rose talk about her classes and how much she liked Cambridge. At some point, Rose glanced down and found that her left hand was holding the Doctor's right hand and she had no idea when that had happened. She trailed off, unsure of what else to say and the room became quiet. Rose hated being so nervous given that she thought she had accepted that this man was her future, but perhaps that was even more of a reason to be nervous.

"I think I met you in Rome this summer," Rose said softly. "We talked at the Coliseum about change… and your granddaughter. I saw you enter the TARDIS. You were an old man."

"I don't remember," the Doctor said softly without looking at Rose. "But that was me, a very very very long time ago."

"How old are you?" Rose asked.

The Doctor laughed slightly, "I say I'm nine hundred, but I'm not sure anymore. The last time I knew my age for certain was in my seventh life and I was over nine hundred then."

Rose's eyes were wide, but at the nervous spark in his eye she forced herself to nod. "Okay so what regeneration are you on now?" 

"This is my tenth body," the Doctor said. "The one that you met when you were eleven was my ninth. The version of me you met in Rome… well that was my first body and near the end of it." The Doctor shook his head, "Only time I regenerated from old age."

Rose wasn't sure where to go from that statement as her mind started pushing forward all sorts of different things and questions. Instead, she heard the Doctor start calmly speaking about his past and moved a bit closer to him on the sofa.

"My home planet was… it was called Gallifrey," the Doctor told her. "It was a beautiful planet, but I hated it growing up. My people were not a nice lot Rose. They were harsh and cold. Childhood on Gallifrey isn't something you humans would recognize."

Rose shifted closer to him and leaned against the back of the sofa so he could turn his face to her. "For one thing families weren't based on parents and offspring. Gallifrey had houses, mine was Lungbarrow, and a certain number of children would be created to keep the population steady. I hated it; everything was so sterile with little emotion. Growing up on Gallifrey was based on duty and we had to grow up so fast despite the fact we'd live so long. All the houses on Gallifrey were concerned with gaining power in politics, but because of our long lifespans it was very underhanded and in the shadows. No one was in too big of a hurry. The result was a degenerate and corrupt society that lorded over the universe with absolute power."

"So you left," Rose guessed in a soft voice, almost afraid to speak.

"Yeah," the Doctor smirked slightly. "I borrowed the TARDIS which had been decommissioned and took off. I ended up in the Dark Times of Gallifrey before the Time Lords had fully taken power. Gallifrey was very different then and while it worried me a bit I was a lot happier then."

The Doctor paused and frowned a little. "Or at least I think I was. That period of time is something of a dream to me. I recall only a little of the family I had then, but even that wasn't like you would imagine. My species has never been really romantic or willing to form permanent connections. Yet, that time period was so very different than my own childhood. I can't recall most of it with any clarity, but I remember the end of it. My granddaughter Arkytior was with me when the Intuitive Revelation, the Rise of the Timelords, happened and I had to take her away from Gallifrey. Arkytior was too much like me to ever be happy in that society. She took the name Susan when we came to Earth."

"What happened to her," Rose questioned curiously. "You told me she was married."

"Yeah, Susan married a human man named David Campbell. Susan was born naturally and before the rise of the Time Lords so she couldn't regenerate. That would have been changed had we stayed, but since we didn't she just had a long lifespan and advanced biology. While she lived longer than humans, she could at least have a fulfilling life on Earth with a family."

There was more to it than that, but the tension in the Doctor's frame warned Rose not to ask. This was a start, more than a start in fact and Rose smiled gently. Brushing a lose strand of hair off of her face, Rose leaned forward and asked, "So Ian and Barbara? What should I know before I go for interrogation?"

The Doctor laughed and tossed his arm around Rose, pulling her into a hug. "Rose Tyler," he sighed into her hair happily, "you and your talent for saying the right thing." Rose settled against him, her head on his shoulder while the Doctor contently sighed at her curling up against him.

"So you came to Earth with Susan," Rose prompted the Doctor.

"Yes and she wanted to go to school. I thought it was a silly idea, but Susan wanted to explore what daily life was like for humans." the Doctor said. "Ian and Barbara were her teachers in history and science and I guess Susan wasn't too good at playing human because they followed her back to the TARDIS one night." The Doctor paused, "And before I say the next part let me remind you that I was very very young and tended to act self-important, old and grumpy."

"So you not only look younger, but age younger as you age and regenerate," Rose confirmed. "That must drive the General insane to have you showing up looking younger and younger."

"A bit, yeah."

"So Ian and Barbara followed Susan back into the TARDIS, then what happened?"

"Can't distract you can I," the Doctor sighed.

"I hear it from you or I hear it from them," Rose reminded him with a smirk.

"Well… I may have shut them inside the TARDIS and taken off with them inside." At Rose's wide eyed and shocked look the Doctor quickly said, "I was trying to make sure they didn't change history! I did mention that I was very young back then!"

Rose smacked him lightly, but couldn't quite hold in her laughter. Leaning against him, Rose gasped for breath and shook her head at the notion of that old man she had met kidnapping Ian and Barbara. The Doctor gave an exaggerated sigh and wrapped his arms around her until she recovered enough, "So when did you take them back?"

"Uh… well I wasn't a very good driver then. Ian and Barbara actually used another time ship to get back to 1965. That why they don't age normally, the mix of the two technologies wasn't completely stable so it slowed down their aging."

"So can a lot of species travel in time?" Rose asked the Doctor, raising her chin to look up at him. As he looked down at her, Rose became aware of just how close they now were with her leaning against his chest with his arms around her.

"More now than there used to be. The Time Lords, my people, used to guard time travel very carefully and prevent other species from developing it."

"A monopoly on time travel," Rose said softly. "I suppose that would guarantee dominance."

"For a time," the Doctor said and they eased into silence.

"You keep using the past tense," Rose observed softly after a long quiet moment. "Eve told me- never mind," Rose said quickly.

"There was a war," the Doctor said. "Your friend Eve's species were almost wiped out by the enemies of my people, the Daleks." The Doctor groaned and brought up the hand that wasn't holding Rose to run through his hair. "Rose, there is something you should know if you're going to keep being a part of my life now. I'm the last of the Time Lords; all the others were lost in the war."

It took a moment for the meaning of his words to sink in, but when they did Rose shifted herself to straddle the Doctor's lap so she could look at him properly. As his second arm came around her, Rose lifted her hands up to his face.

"I'm sorry," Rose whispered gently. "I'm so sorry Doctor, I didn't mean to bring up something painful."

The Doctor raised a hand to touch Rose's face and softly said, "It hurts less now Rose than it used to. I've accepted some aspects of what happened." He paused and kissed Rose's forehead softly, "When I saw Alistair in my last body he recognized that I'd been in a war. He told me that the way forward was to hold onto a purpose and he even hinted that having someone was the way to heal. He was right."

Without thinking, Rose leaned forward and softly kissed the Doctor, letting her fingers caress his face lightly. He relaxed into her, but let Rose control the kiss as he gently held her. Ending the kiss, Rose smiled at the Doctor and leaned completely forward against his chest to hug him and rest her head against his shoulder.

"I miss you," the Doctor whispered. "I know from that letter that it will be okay, but I still miss you so much." He tightened his grip around her and shifted her body so she was pressed against him.

"I'm sorry," Rose whispered unsure of what else to say. They slipped into silence and Rose moved a hand to rest it on the Doctor's chest. Blinking, Rose paused to listen to the pulse she could hear and the odd vibration she was feeling from his chest. She shifted her hand slightly, searching for the source of the odd thumping and suddenly the Doctor laughed.

"I have two hearts Rose," he told her and Rose pulled away so she could see his face. He was smiling again and looked far too amused.

"How did I not notice that when we…" Rose blushed slightly, but refused to turn away shyly.

"Well we were both focused on other things that day," the Doctor said, reaching down to squeeze one of her hands. "I have two hearts, it is part of my superior Time Lord physiology. Mind you it has gotten me into trouble a few times."

Rose giggled and shook her head at him, resulting in the Doctor giving her a wide happy smile. Quickly, she leaned up and kissed him again, but slipped off the sofa before he could respond. Rose patted the TARDIS gently as she walked past it into the kitchen. She grabbed one of the spare apartment keys from the kitchen drawer and returned out to the living room. Sitting back down next to the Doctor, Rose took his hand and put the key into it.

"If you ever need to see me, but miss the apartment use this," Rose said simply. She was aware that the TARDIS probably wouldn't miss her apartment, but it was symbolic more than anything else. The Doctor nodded in understanding of what she was really saying, he was always welcome. Rose looked down at the Doctor's hand which he had closed around the key with her hand still gently holding his. "If I don't change my own future," Rose said slowly, "That means that I'm going to disappear for a while. I'm guessing that for me in the future that will be easier if I know that you're going to be alright. Knowing that you have me when I'm younger." Rose giggled and pushed another strand of hair from her face, "Personal pronouns are weird around you."

The Doctor was smiling gently at Rose when she finally forced herself to look up at his face. His eyes were warm and grateful, most of the sadness was gone leaving gratitude and pride in its place. Leaning forward, the Doctor brushed a soft kiss to her lips and whispered, "Thank you." Then to Rose's surprise, he jumped up from the sofa with a manic energy that felt much more appropriate for him. He held out a hand to her and wiggled his fingers expectantly.

"Doctor?" Rose asked with a raised eyebrow.

"How about a quick trip?" The Doctor asked, "I'm thinking something simple like a quick trip to Antarctica to see the aurora australis. Given the shaking Earth received today they should be incredible tonight."

Rose grinned and took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet. "Promise we'll come right back?" 

"I promise, just a space jump across Earth, not even any time travel."

"Alright then," Rose said as she grabbed her shoes. "It's a date."

"Yes," the Doctor agreed as he unlocked the TARDIS. "It is a date."


	6. Xylok of Earth: Date and Dinner

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Six: Xylok of Earth: Date and Dinner

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: This chapter moves fast and I warn you of that now. I had a lot to get through so I upped the pacing and frankly you've been reading the series so you don't need to read a recap. The next episode will start in the next chapter.

The TARDIS was different than Rose had first seen it when the future green-eyed Doctor, the Eleventh Doctor, had rescued her from the exploding stone circle. Instead of sharp mechanical edges of glass and metal this TARDIS control room was coral with gently sloping supports. Her hesitation made the Doctor spin towards her and the look on her face made him grin.

"Welcome to my TARDIS, Rose Tyler," he gleefully shouted while throwing his arms open.

Rose laughed, "You've been waiting to say that haven't you."

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to impress a girl when she's seen it before?" the Doctor asked dramatically as he moved to the controls. "You started to travel with me and already knew everything! It was very annoying."

Giggling, Rose moved up the grating ramp to the controls. She reached out and touched the column gently while the Doctor looked on and smiled. "First time I saw her, she looked different."

"Well she is female," the Doctor said with a shrug as he started to set some controls. "She likes to change her appearance from time to time."

Rose chose to ignore that remark in favor of watching the Doctor adjust the controls excitedly as he rushed around. The TARDIS vibrated slightly, barely noticeable and the Doctor nodded in satisfaction. Looking over her, the Doctor said, "Better go to the wardrobe room Rose, the TARDIS should have some coats to stand up the temperature."

"The wardrobe room," Rose repeated with raised eyebrows. "I know that makes sense, but I'm going to need a bit more than that."

Once again that Doctor's face shifted from surprise to amusement as he held out his hand. Smiling, Rose took the offered hand and let the Doctor finally give her that tour of the TARDIS had he had been waiting for. It was tremendous and Rose couldn't keep from gaping at the rooms that were contained within the innocent looking police public call box, and the Doctor had finally explained what a police public call box was. The library was huge with tall imposing shelves, a moving ladder that Rose imagined this Doctor played on more than used for browsing. The cloister room was a dramatic gothic room that reminded Rose of a ruined cathedral. There was a swimming pool, a room full of spare parts, a strange cricket club room and several garden rooms with different climate settings. Rose's favorite however was the gallery of lost art from around the universe that apparently the Doctor would rescue from sinking ships, explosions or fires to prevent them from actually being destroyed.

By the time the Doctor took her to the wardrobe room, Rose didn't feel like the TARDIS could surprise her further. She was so very wrong; the wardrobe room was dominated by a large spiral staircase that rose through the massive space surrounded by racks upon racks of clothing. Rose turned the Doctor who was rocking on his feet, clearly enjoying her shock and awe reaction. Deciding that she didn't like him being so smug, Rose pulled his head down and kissed him hard. She twisted her fingers in his hair and smirked inwardly when he moaned softly into her mouth. Releasing him, Rose forced herself to breathe normally as the Doctor stared at her with a happy and stunned grin and said, "So we need outerwear for Antarctica. Where would that be?" 

Once she was wrapped up in a white 47th century coat designed for extreme weather conditions without being too bulky and matching boots, the Doctor lead Rose back to the console room. Flinging open the doors, the Doctor smiled as Rose gasped and stepped outside. The snow crunched beneath her boots and Rose was vaguely aware that she was on a continent very few humans visited. Her eyes were locked on the amazing strands of blue, purple and green light above the ice. The Doctor stepped up beside her and took her gloved hand in his own as she gazed up at the brilliant lights. Rose smiled softly as the lights almost flowed gently through the dark night sky, appearing to be almost liquid at some moments and reminding her of fire in others. It was a slow and subtle as the lights shimmered overhead and she lost all sense of time.

"Thank for bringing me to see this," Rose whispered to the Doctor, afraid of disturbing the scene. "It's beautiful."

"Yes it is," the Doctor replied softly and Rose turned to look at him, blushing softly when she realized that he was staring at her. The Doctor looked up at the sky, aware that he had made her uncomfortable and in the next moment he began to talk about the aurora australis. Rose relaxed and squeezed his hand, listening to him with a soft smile.

The cycle ended far too quickly for Rose and they returned to the TARDIS. Rose braved her way through the TARDIS by herself to return the winter gear as the Doctor flew them back to her flat. When she returned to the console room, she paused at the doorway and observed the Doctor. He was looking down at the viewing screen with a faraway look and Rose thought she heard someone talking. Realizing that she was spying, Rose stepped into the console room and cleared her throat. The Doctor touched the screen and the sounds of speaking stopped.

"A video?" Rose asked as she walked over to the Doctor.

"A message you left for me apparently," the Doctor said. "The TARDIS started to play it when you went to the wardrobe room."

"Oh," Rose mumbled unsure of what to say to that. "Are you alright?"

"I'm always alright," the Doctor replied quickly, too quickly for Rose to believe.

"You should find someone to travel with," Rose said taking his hand. "I'm happy to be there if you need me, but… you should find someone."

"Rose…" 

"Doctor I don't know what has happened, but obviously I won't be back that quickly if I left a message for you about it." Rose took a breath and said, "And in the meantime you need to take care of yourself." Rose reached up and cupped his cheek, "For you I think that means traveling with someone."

He pulled her against him into a tight hug without a word. Rose shivered as his one of his cooler hands brushed the skin between her shirt and her jeans. His other hand was grasping her shoulder, keeping her completely against him. Forcing herself to relax, Rose moved her own hands to the Doctor's back and held him.

"I miss you," the Doctor whispered into her hair. "The only thing stopping me from leaving with this you is the knowledge it would destroy our time line. I don't want to lose you, I can't win."

"It will be okay," Rose promised softly, leaning up to kiss his jaw. The Doctor turned his head to catch Rose's lips in a kiss that was passionate, angry, frustrated, hurt and pained yet still conveyed to her how much this man loved her or at least would love her. Rose tilted her head and eased one of her arms between herself and the Doctor so she could gently stroke his cheek. The kiss softened and Rose melted against him. "It will be okay," Rose repeated when she pulled away to breathe. Taking a step back from the Doctor, Rose smiled at him and squeezed the hand she was still holding. "You have a key to my flat and you're always welcome."

The Doctor managed a soft smile, "I'd give you a key to the TARDIS, but that happens soon enough with my last form." 

"This is going to get a bit confusing," Rose said with a chuckle. "No wonder you gave… will give me a journal for keeping track of it."

The Doctor nodded and seemed to understand that it was time for her to leave, at least for tonight. He kept holding her hand even as he walked her to the door of the TARDIS. Rose smiled as she stepped out into her flat, the clock showed that she had only been gone for five hours. Turning back to the Doctor, Rose kissed his quickly before taking a step back from the TARDIS.

"Good night Doctor," Rose said gently.

"Good night Rose," the Doctor replied. "I'll see you very soon." 

"How soon?" Rose asked suspiciously, but he just gave her a wide smile.

"Oh and if you need a break from studying don't hesitate to call," the Doctor added with a grin just before he shut the door.

Shaking her head, Rose stepped back and watched the TARDIS vanish from her flat. When it was gone, Rose sighed and turned back to her flat to start cleaning up the tea things she had left out.

Two nights later Rose was parking her motorcycle outside a neat house white house with blue trim and flowerbeds. She packed away her helmet and gloves as she stared up at the house. Despite having spoken with the Doctor about Ian and Barbara, she was still very nervous about speaking with them. It wasn't even the first time she had met someone who knew the Doctor, but then again the General and Colonel Benton hadn't traveled with him. Forcing herself to focus, Rose walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell.

Ian Chesterton opened the door with a smile and let Rose enter, taking her coat and showing her to the parlor. Barbara smiled warmly as Rose entered the room, causing Rose to relax a bit more. The two former companions of the Doctor glanced at each other as they all sat down. The only conversation for the first few minutes was Barbara inquiring how to fix Rose's tea.

"Well let's start at the beginning then," Barbara said seeming to lose patience with the awkward silence. "I'm Barbara, you know Ian of course since you take his classes. We traveled with the Doctor for a few years, I'm not sure how long exactly, but we returned to Earth in 1965. We married a year later. Ian and I both completed our advanced educations and became professors at Cambridge in the late 1970s. We have one son Johnny who is a computer specialist in London."

"We met UNIT in the late 1970s just before we started at Cambridge. The Doctor had recently left Earth and UNIT was I suppose taking stock of his traveling companions. They like to know who might know something about hostile aliens or who to make sure their people don't go after."

"I've noticed," Rose laughed. "I'm certain I wouldn't have gotten away with half the things I have if they didn't believe that the Doctor likes me. They defer to him quite a bit."

"Yes," Barbara smiled. "Now that the ice is broken why don't you explain how you met the Doctor."

"I was eleven years old," Rose said after gathering her thoughts. "My neighborhood was being stalked by an alien entity that you've probably heard of as the Pied Piper." She smirked at the surprised that registered on their faces before she resumed her story. "It lived on fear so when I spotted it several times it started trying to frighten me. I had a hunch of where its base might be, of course I had no idea that it was an alien, so I went to try and find out what was happening. Long story short I got in over my head and the Doctor got me out of the building before the Pied Piper could spirit me away."

"He rescued you in the TARDIS?" Barbara asked in confusion.

"Oh no, I wasn't in the TARDIS until I was sixteen," Rose said quickly only to pause att their surprised faces. "Okay I guess I better tell you upfront that I've met the Doctor many times in several different regenerations. I even briefly met the Doctor that you two traveled with."

"I think that you should start from the beginning," Ian said. "And don't rush the story Rose."

It was an hour later that Barbara and Ian let Rose stop talking when dinner was ready. During the meal Barbara insisted that they not bother Rose and allow her to eat so the couple took turns telling Rose about their own meeting with the Doctor. Despite the Doctor telling her the basics, Rose couldn't help but be amused at the idea of the adorable manic man she knew being grumpy and so harsh towards humans. Then it occurred to her that Earth might have a lot to thank Barbara and Ian for, they had certainly impressed him enough that he didn't write humans off completely. Hearing about Susan was strange and Rose was glad that she had known about his mysterious granddaughter beforehand. She didn't like the surge of jealously that shot through her at the discussion of the Doctor's mysterious family in the distant past. Still he had said that he barely remembered it and had made his feelings towards Rose extremely clear.

After dinner Rose brought them up to date on her past with the Doctor, leaving out the aspects of their relationship that included kissing, dating and especially sleeping together. She wasn't ready to be discussing that with two people old enough to be her grandparents and who had known the Doctor when he had been a grandfather. The Chestertons had been amused by her story of the Mona Lisa coming to life and being defeated by her own painting Lumen. Ian and Barbara had been enchanted by her stories of Eve and the odd letters that she still occasionally received around the important events of her life. Like the Doctor, both Ian and Barbara were angered by the events surrounding Horath, but neither could hide that they were impressed by Rose saving the universe at the age of sixteen. Apparently Barbara and Ian had been among those that didn't believe UNIT's cover story of the 'Empty Earth Incident' and were glad to finally know what actually happened. Of course Ian did snort that showing up late and clapping seemed just like the Doctor they had known which made Rose laugh. The story of the Durmions and Rose's bracelet certainly interested Ian who had been curious about the sword he had seen her use. At their urging Rose had shown them the bracelet and transformed it into its sword form.

When she was finished with the long explanation of her past with aliens, the world ending and general insanity, Rose had informed Ian of UNIT's offer and her intention to take the position around her schoolwork. Ian had frowned at the notion of Rose working for UNIT while Barbara was more positive about the idea. The argument didn't last long before fizzling out as the clock in the hall struck eleven. Realizing how late it was, Rose had bid them both goodnight and accepted Barbara's invitation to join them again. As she walked back out to her motorcycle Rose realized that she was grinning widely. Giggling to herself, Rose mentally sorted through all the new information she had on the Doctor and wondered how many other old friends he might just have on planet Earth.


	7. Crash Jurisdiction: Crash in the Country

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Seven: Crash in the Country

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

Rose Tyler was in her second month of university at Cambridge and working calmly on her latest chemistry paper hoping to get ahead of the upcoming deadlines. Sipping at a cup of tea for a moment Rose glanced over the paragraph she was currently working on only to sigh. She was dressed in her loose comfy clothing with her hair piled on her head. It was a chilly November Friday night and she wasn't really that interested in homework. Setting down her tea, Rose saved the document before closing it down in surrender. Spinning her chair around, Rose turned to face the work table that now dominated the corner behind her.

The work table with lit by a lamp hanging directly above it and was completely disorganized despite what Rose would say. Two desktop computers sat in stages of disassembly among other spare parts, random notes, tools and Rose's own sonic device that she was building off of a combination of Toshiko's sonic modulator plans and her observations about the sonic screwdriver. It was more of an experiment at the current stage of construction. Plans and drawing were pinned onto a board that Rose had hung above the table for quick reference. Most importantly was that in the middle of the table was a large strange looking computer with a large monitor that rested on a simple looking metal box and was framed by two computer towers. In reality the Xylok crystal was safely tucked away in the simple metal box connected to the various computer input systems that allowed it to express its thoughts on screen. This interface had taken Rose five desktop computers, four mobile phone, three intense days, two laptops and one monitor to construct, but she still wasn't completely happy with it. Still while she and Xylok planned for future construction it would do to keep the life form safe, happy and useful to Rose.

It hadn't taken Rose too long to decide what to do with the Xylok that she had smuggled away from Gordon's office under UNIT nose. A few hints from the Doctor during his most recent visit a week and a half ago had helped with her nervousness about the once murderous crystalline life form. Rose had been somewhat surprised when she returned from class and found the Doctor sitting on her sofa drinking tea and correcting a draft of her current physics paper. He had stayed for dinner before kissing her and swanning back off into time and space leaving Rose with the feeling that she would be having a lot more strange visits from him. She still felt a little awkward around him, but Rose found herself feeling more at ease with him much more quickly than she ever would have imagined.

Rose shifted her desk chair over to the work table and picked up the prototype sonic device she was working on. Malcolm had sent Rose Tosh's designs when she signed the contract with a humorous note to see what she could manage. Due to her new UNIT contract Rose was allowed contact with Toshiko which pleased both of them. The transition to working for UNIT had not been easy for Tosh, but Malcolm and his team seemed to be doing what they could. According to Tosh's most recent phone call she had a private work station and spent her days being creative with technology, a task she loved. Tosh also mentioned that Private Smith was always polite to her unlike several other UNIT soldiers. Rose could somewhat understand UNIT's concerns, but she was still a touch irritated with them which was why her project with the Xylok remained a secret.

Allowing her mind to wander as she inspected the circuitry in the sonic device, Rose made a mental note to call her mother in the morning just to check in. Thus far Jackie had adjusted to life in Bannerman Road very well. It amazed Rose how much not having to worry about money had allowed her mother to relax. She was still very protective, but Rose imagined that having to raise a child as a single parent would have that effect.

Rose made frequent phone calls home to see how Jackie was adjusting to her new life in Ealing with her daughter away at university. To Rose's relief and fear, Jackie had become good friends with Gita Chandra who owned a flower shop that Jackie worked at. Rose feared the friendship because Gita was a little flighty herself and they were both gossips so she could only imagine what their talks must be like. Sharon and Shireen had initially planned to live with their families while attending university, but as of Rose's phone call to them last week they had gotten a flat together to be closer to their universities in central London. Sharon loved her medical courses and was proving to be very adept at the subject. Shrieen was also adjusting well and had identified therapy as her preferred future career. Rose had a suspicion that UNIT would make job offers to both girls once they completed their educations since they both already knew about aliens and had not trouble dealing with that reality.

Finishing some new wiring, Rose sighed and examined the sonic device; it wasn't a modulator as Rose wanted more than noise that ripped people apart. She had redirected the energy flow to lower that effect, but it still wasn't working properly yet. However, she was making enough progress that she'd have to email the changes she'd made to Tosh.

"Rose," the Xylok said to her suddenly. "I am picking up a distress call."

"Where?" Rose asked with wide eyes.

The computer screen changed and Rose could see a trajectory track of an object very close to enter Earth's atmosphere. "I put the trajectory of the ship as crashing within thirty miles of Cambridge towards London. According to the message engines and steering are out."

"Can you narrow the crash field?" Rose asked.

"Sadly no, the system you have constructed does not allow for that."

Sighing, Rose nodded. "I'm working on it."

"I meant no disrespect," the Xylok informed her with a slight tone change. "I am aware of the difficultly you are facing in the construction of a more powerful and permanent interface. I am grateful for the chance to fulfill my purpose."

Rose smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry about it Xylok. I still need to figure out a name for you." Rose stood up and glanced out the window at the night sky.

"Why do humans feel the need to name everything?" the Xylok asked. "I do not understand this need." 

"Don't worry about it," Rose replied. "Keep tracking the ship, I'm going to get my things and go out to see what is happening. Any information you can get is great."

"Yes Rose," the Xylok replied as Rose darted off to her bedroom.

She quickly changed into a broken in pair of blue jeans, a long sleeved green turtleneck and her boots. Walking back out into the main room, Rose grabbed her leather coat and pulled her hair up in a ponytail. The Xylok had sent the information to her printer with narrowed down coordinates for the crash to between Cambridge, Newmarket and Haverhill. It was still a big area, but she'd see the ship as it crashed. Her best option was to get onto A11 as quickly as possible.

"According to the distress message the ship is a trading vessel that was separated from its convoy and escort by a pirate attack. They took damage to their engines and controls."

"Peaceful then?" Rose asked as she collected her phone and keys. Reaching up to her ear, Rose checked the translator. She wore it every day, only taking it off to sleep and shower. Touching the piece of alien technology, calmed Rose's nerves.

"Indeed, you should not encounter hostile activity."

"I'm not sure about that," Rose muttered herself as she folded up the information and slipped it into her pocket. She locked up her flat and headed down to her motorcycle. Rose disliked driving her bike at night, but she supposed there was nothing for it. As she pulled out of the garage Rose also had a stray thought that having a communication link to the Xylok might be a good feature to put into the new plans.

Traffic in town was heavy as people were rushing home or off to their Friday night plans. Soon she escaped the streets of Cambridge and was zooming as quickly as she could towards Haverhill. Rose was grateful for the light traffic given her distracted state of mind. She was only ten minutes out of Cambridge when she saw something in the sky. Rose gasped softly as the large shape moved closer, glowing with the heat from the atmosphere. Spotting the turn for the A11, Rose turned sharply and followed the new road ignoring the cars that were pulling over around her to look up at the sky. Rose flinched at the ship crashed far ahead of her, shaking the ground with the impact. For a country that had just suffered terrifying earthquakes that would not be a welcome feeling.

Now that the ship was down, Rose had a harder time tracking it in the dark, but a faint light helped her find the proper side road. She carefully navigated her way through a series of back roads, grateful that she has gassed up her bike earlier that day. The road ended near a farm equipment barn and Rose noted with relief that there were not any houses nearby. She parked her bike and looked out over the field. Her headlight provided enough light for Rose to see large amount of piled earth that must have been forced up by the crash. Unlocking the storage box, Rose pulled out her bag and swung it over her shoulder. She pulled out her torch and after a moment of thought turned her motorcycle off. If she ran the battery out here or ran out of gas she'd had a long walk waiting for her. Carefully, Rose moved off of the road and towards the crash. As she approached Rose could hear noises that sounded like voices and sounds that she recognized as repairs.

"Hello," Rose called out as she moved past a pile of thrown up earth and looked down at the ship. The ship was not as large as Rose was expecting. In fact from what she could see it looked like a large tear drop with a sharp nose and rounded back, only about twenty yards long. She had been expecting something much larger than that in a trade ship. Several lights were placed around the ship as small beings that were roughly four feet tall rushed around the crash.

Several of the beings turned towards Rose at the sound of her voice and she was able to get a better look at them. They were small and wearing red uniforms that were simple in design. Stepping forward slowly so she didn't alarm them, Rose turned off her torch and slipped it into her pocket. She made her empty hands visible as she moved forward slowly. The creatures were fuzzy with brown hair, two arms with almost paw like hands, but opposable digits. To be honest they made Rose think of a mix between teddy bears and chimpanzees. They were odd creatures, but waited patiently for Rose to come closer to them.

"Hello," Rose tried again as she stepped into one of the lit areas, blinking at the change. One of the aliens looked at Rose's empty hands and nodded.

"Hello," the alien said with a breathy higher pitched voice that sounded like something from a cartoon, "Do you understand me?"

"I do," Rose said with a smile.

"This is a level five planet," the alien said in confusion. "Are you rescue team? Distress signal only sent after attack."

Rose shook her head, "No I'm a human from this planet." She paused for a moment to consider how to explain this. "I have a translator from the Durmions."

"Durmion translator," the alien repeated with surprise before he eyes moved to Rose's right arm.

Unsure of what he might be looking for; Rose pulled off her right glove and pulled up the cuff of her leather jacket. The moment Rose saw her bracelet she laughed to herself, if this species knew of the Durmion Empire than they had probably heard stories of Star Knights from them. The alien stepped closer to Rose and examined her bracelet in the light.

"Is this sword?" the alien asked staring at the bracelet.

Smiling, Rose took a step back from the alien and summoned the sword forth. She held it out for the alien to observe before she retracted it to the bracelet form. The alien twitched with excitement.

"We trade with the Durmions," the alien said. "They always tell same old stories, but then they start telling a new story with new Star Knight on Earth."

"I'm Rose Tyler," Rose replied as she relaxed at the aliens' acceptance of her. "I detected your signal. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I am Etiger, captain of the ship. We from Tervti. Our convey attacked by pirates and engines damaged, computer damaged. Crew only injured, but need help to get home."

Rose nodded her understanding, the odd syntax of Etiger was distracting, but she saw that the other aliens had calmed down at Etiger speaking with her and gone back to work. Etiger turned back to Rose, "Come meet Cerit, engineer in charge. Just watch your head, you are very tall."

Rose followed Etiger around the ship, admiring the smooth surface of it, noting the access panels seams across the surface. The small group outside the ship, five by her count not including Etiger were opening these panels and rapidly speaking with each other. Rose only understood half the technobabble as she followed the captain. The main door of the ship was a few inches lower than Rose's head and she had to bend slightly to walk into the ship. Fortunately the interior wasn't much lower and Rose was able to follow Etiger without much discomfort.

They reached a larger room with a high ceiling filled with electrical readout equipment. Rose could tell that this was the bridge of the ship and could also tell that some sections of the machines had been overloaded by the burns. Another Tervtian turned towards Rose, it's large eyes widening even further at the sight of her.

"Calm Cerit," Etiger said. "Human come to help. Star Knight from Durmion stories."

"Really," Cerit asked with a look that Rose recognized as speculation. "Star Knight just myth."

"Has sword," Etiger said. "We need help otherwise in trouble for landing on level five planet. Shadow Proclamation not like that."

"Not my fault," Cerit said quickly. "Barely managed safe landing, but not able to stay in space."

"I see," Rose said gently trying tt prevent an argument. "How can I help, it is best to get you back in the air as quickly as possible."

"Not quick fix," Cerit said shaking his head. "And cannot call for help, convoy out of range and we went far off course after pirate attack. Won't be looking for us."

"So we have to fix the ship," Rose said. "That won't be easy without attracting attention." Rose pulled out her mobile phone thoughtfully. UNIT would know about the crash and be on their way to the crash site, calling them might be a better choice.

However a moment later another alien came rushing into the bridge and pointed towards the entrance. "Captain Etiger, more humans. Armed humans surrounding the ship."

"That bad," Etiger said turning to Rose. "Trade ship only, no weapons."

"Call your crew inside," Rose said quickly. "I'll speak to the humans for you."

"Thank you," Etiger sighed gratefully. "No harm to crew or ship."

"I'll do my best," Rose told him. "But be careful anyway." Rose paused, "Can you see outside?" 

"Yes Star Knight," Cerit said, almost sounding offended.

Rose held up her hand and crossed her middle and index finger, "I'll make this sign if you are safe to open the doors again."

Captain Etiger nodded solemnly to her as his only reply. Rose nodded to him in return before turning back towards the entrance. The remaining four tervtians rushed passed her into the ship as she stepped back outside. Rose took a deep breath and paused to listen to the noises around her. She could hear the sounds of motors running and people moving around beyond the earth piles. Moving around the large wall of Earth, Rose made sure to stay in the lights the Tervtians had set up for their repairs.

She stepped around the earth wall and barely held in a groan at the sight of UNIT's response to the crash. The mobile command unit was parked behind a near wall of trucks. Soldiers stood with their weapons at the ready. Calmly, Rose stepped into the light of the headlights and grinned at the shocked faces of the soldiers.

"Take me to your leader."


	8. Crash Jurisdiction: Jurisdiction

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Eight: Jurisdiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Thank you for the get better wishes, you all are great. I'm back to normal well as normal as I've ever been. In more important news I need help naming the Xylok! Please send your suggestions into me via review or message so I name that poor little alien. This chapter was a bit hard to write since I had to write a character I've never worked on before.

Smiling, Rose followed Captain Magambo into the mobile command center as she heard other UNIT soldiers chuckling. Her entry line had amused those who heard it and calmed down the tense troops. She imagined that for UNIT every crash was treated as a hostile threat first and foremost. The mobile command center hadn't change in the last month, but Rose stopped for a moment to glance over the screen and displays. Most of the screens had images of the ship's entry path, traffic reports, maps and radiations readings. Smirking, Rose turned back to Captain Magambo and followed her into the back office. Rose was surprised to find Colonel John Benton waiting for her in the office instead of General Lethbridge-Stewart.

"Miss Tyler,' the Colonel said, raising his eyebrow slightly. "I know that I should not be surprised, yet I am."

"Hello to you too Colonel Benton," Rose replied as Captain Magambo left the small office and shut the door. "You don't need to be concerned about them invading," Rose said as she sat down at Benton's desk. "The Tervtian vessel is a trading ship that was separated from its escort when pirates attacked. Captain Etiger says that their engines and main computers were damaged, but Cerit is already working on repairs to the ship."

"Hold on," Benton said suddenly with a shocked expression, holding up his hand. "Tyler start at the beginning!"

"Oh," Rose paused. "Well I was out on my bike when I saw the crash. I wasn't sure what it was at first so I came to check it out. Plus I figured that you lot would be on your way."

"You've spoken with the aliens," Benton verified.

"Yes, they are nice. My translator helped me understand them." Rose grinned and added, "They trade with the Durmions and had heard of me after the incident with Princess Alenica."

"They've heard of you," Benton groaned as he rubbed his eyes. He took a breath and stood, "Miss Tyler I'm afraid that there are protocols for this."

"If the protocol is to take a bunch of injured traders who have crashed by no fault of their own as prisoners then we are going to have a problem," Rose informed him sternly.

"What would you suggest?"

"Help them repair the ship so they can get back on their way."

"Miss Tyler, it doesn't work that way."

"What is the point of hiring a consultant if you don't listen to their ideas. That is the point of one, to help bring in new ideas to make things better."

"Not exactly," Benton said with a sigh. "This is beyond me Miss Tyler."

"Then let me talk to how can overrule the protocols," Rose said crossing her arms over her chest and doing her best impression of her mother's stern expression.

"Miss Tyler," Benton said calmly, "While they offered you a contract that doesn't mean that they will always listen."

"I am aware of why UNIT offered me a contract," Rose replied evenly. "They noticed that I'm good at getting out of trouble and have an unusual relationship with the Doctor."

Benton nodded after a moment and stood up from the desk, "Very well Miss Tyler."

"You can call me Rose you know," she said as she followed him out of the office.

Benton smiled slightly, but soon wiped the expression away as he ordered for a line to be opened to Geneva. Rose tried not to let her nervousness show as several faces appeared on screen, General Lethbridge-Stewart at the London Headquarters among them. She was nervous and felt a little sick at the idea of arguing a case in front of military personnel, but she had told Etiger that she would do her best to speak for them. While Benton updated them on the information Rose had provided, she quickly formed arguments in her head that might appeal to UNIT's higher commanders.

"Miss Tyler," an older man with two stars on his uniform asked her through the screen. "You are requesting a deviation from the standard protocols, explain yourself."

"Gladly sir," Rose answered respectfully, wishing that the screen were labeled with names and not just locations. "As Colonel Benton informed you I have spoken with the Tervtian captain and been inside the ship to speak with the chief engineer. These people do not constitute a threat to Earth's security."

"Miss Tyler," an Asian woman said sharply. "UNIT will require more than that to permit a change in policy."

It was General Lethbridge-Stewart that spoke next and helped Rose relax. "Miss Tyler," the General said. "Please explain your reasons for believing this is best course of action for UNIT." 

"Yes sir," Rose said with a nod before taking a breath. She tried to keep her voice calm and even, focusing on the reasoned arguments that she had mentally sorted. "Reason one to help the Tervtians repair their ship is that the personnel that assist them will have a chance to work with skilled and knowledgeable aliens. Rather than picking up wrecked pieces of a ship, UNIT will have a chance to learn how repairs should be done and how the system should normally function." Rose say a few interested and thoughtful looks. Quickly she added, "The problem with reverse engineering a ship that crashed is that it crashed. Parts are damaged, fried, melted and may have even been destroyed completely. When you reverse engineer a ship you risk building in the same weaknesses as a ship that crashed. Compound this effect with a large scale project and you risk catastrophic failure. The rational way to deal with this is to work with aliens to repair the damaged ships so their normally functioning systems can be observed, construction methods can be noted and new methods of using technology can be learned."

Pausing for a breath, Rose was pleased to see that several of the commanders were clearly interested in her argument thus far. General Lethbridge-Stewart even had that familiar half smile of amusement and exasperation. "My next point is Earth's reputation," Rose said drawing their attention back to her. "The Tervtians knew who I was because of their trade relationship with the Durmino Empire. Aliens are like us in that they talk, gossip and share information. The Durminos left Earth with a positive impression of humans and even gave UNIT a parting gift to apologize for the trouble that one of their own caused. While we are not actively traveling space right now, that is the future of the human species and it will be best if humans have a better reputation in the future. Just like nations on Earth want to have strong, but positive images Earth itself needs to start focusing on the reputation it wants in our part of the galaxy. This group of aliens are traders and they travel across the galaxy. We help them get back into space they will talk about it and express the fact that humans are not purely violent animals that shoot first all the time, but instead have the power to be rational and assist other sentient beings."

Taking another breath, Rose was pleased to note that several more of the commanders were looking thoughtful and she seemed to be having an effect. "Third reason is one for Earth's future internally. Someday the existence of aliens is going to become accepted by the general public and organizations like UNIT will become better known. At that time it is very likely that there will be panic and concern over the safety of Earth. If UNIT has positive events such as helping lost and injured aliens return home in addition to the records of invasions, plots and coups it will help reassure the public that not everything in the galaxy is trying to destroy us. It will also illustrate that UNIT is not purely a war machine, but is instead truly invested in the long term good of Earth with regards to aliens."

Another breath and then Rose continued, "Fourth and final point is a moral one. These beings are civilians. They suffered an attack that injured some of them and left their ship damaged. They have committed no crime expect landing their damaged spaceship on a planet where they could breath. They are intelligent, sentient and injured. At moments like this we have to decide if the morality that we like to hold up is something we are willing to apply beyond just the human species. We help these people and we fulfill the morality that we like to lay claim to."

It was a bit of the low blow and Rose knew it, but with Etiger's crew at risk she had to pull out what she could. If this didn't work she'd have to call the Doctor to get them off the planet, but she didn't want him to solve all the problems she encountered. Besides, she was a human who knew about aliens and as a member of the next generation she had a right to express her own desires for the future.

Colonel Benton stepped up next to Rose and glanced over the screens. "If you will wait outside Miss Tyler, I will inform you of the command staff decision in a few minutes."

Nodding, Rose turned and walked towards the exit. She took a deep breath of the night air and walked a few feet away from the mobile command center. Sighing, Rose leaned against one of the jeeps and looked out over the UNIT forces. The troops had been called back, but were all still on alert just in case. Rose wished she could go speak with Etiger, but until she knew if they were safe from UNIT custody that was a bad idea. So she waited and kicked at the dirt slightly. UNIT jeeps and trucks lined the area with large portable lights set up. They certainly weren't avoiding attention, but then again lots of people had seen something crash and Rose was betting that UNIT had already released a cover story. Frankly they were lucky that the Tervtians had managed such a neat crash landing or the damage would have been a lot worse.

Rose turned her attention to the soldiers, hoping to see Mickey or one of the others that she knew, but she did not see any familiar faces other than Magambo. The Captain was with a group of other officers discussing something quietly and Rose smiled when Magambo glanced over at her. Suddenly Magambo and the other officers turned to look back towards the road. Rose blinked and straightened up. Walking a few feet to the right, Rose was able to see past UNIT's equipment back up to the road. Her motorcycle was still parked up at the roadside, glimmering blue in the light as new headlights moved closer. Magambo turned to one of the other officers who nodded and headed for the commander center.

"Not Torchwood," Rose heard one of the soldiers hiss.

Moving closer to the road, Rose frowned as five large black SUVs and pulled up and parked. Seven armed men stepped out of the various vehicles along with two other men and three women dressed smartly in black. They paused and waited for another woman to step out, she was middle aged with dark blonde hair and dressed in a suit. Even in the poor light Rose could tell this woman was dressed stylishly and yet thought nothing of walking out into the gravel and dirt to approach Captain Magambo. Creeping close enough to hear, Rose glanced back at the mobile command center to assure herself that she hadn't strayed too far from Benton.

"Ms. Hartman," Captain Magambo said with a nod. "UNIT is in control of this situation. Your presence is not needed."

"This is British soil," Hartman replied. "This crash should fall to Torchwood."

"UNIT has already responded and been granted full authority of the matter," Magambo replied calmly. Rose could tell from her body language that she didn't like this woman much.

Of course as Rose examined the woman she didn't blame Magambo. Something about this Hartman made Rose's stomach twist. In the last few years she had learned to trust her instincts and her gut was saying that this woman was trouble. Everything about this woman screamed control and careful calculation.

"I insist that Torchwood be part of this situation," Hartman pressed. "I must speak to your commanding officer."

"Ms. Hartman my commanding officers have standing instructions with regards to your organization. You get there first that is fine, but UNIT has control of this situation and that is not going to change simply because you arrive with a few men."

"This is British soil," Hartman pressed again. "And that ship had a controlled crash, there may be aliens left alive inside of it." Hartman smirked, "They are illegals on British soil without passports."

That settled it, Rose was never going to like this woman. A sudden touch on her shoulder made her jump and spin with her arm raised for a fist thrust. The private behind her quickly jumped back seeing Rose's position shift to avoid being hit. Flushing, Rose quickly gave him an apology.

"Mickey said you were feisty," the private replied with a smirk. "They want you back in the mobile command center."

Nodding, Rose quickly followed the private back towards the command center only glancing back briefly towards Hartman. Rose suppressed a shudder when her eyes met Hartman's and the older woman adopted a calculating look.

Stepping back into the mobile command center was a relief for Rose as the temperature seemed to increase not only from the night air, but Hartman's presence. She really wanted to ask what Torchwood was, but whoever they were only added extra urgency to Rose needing to be able to help Etiger and his crew get off of Earth. Rose joined Colonel Benton back at the viewing screen and was revealed to see that Benton was not very tense. She had faith that he was on her side, everything about him made Rose believe that he was a good man.

"Miss Tyler," General Lethbridge-Stewart said from his screen. "It is the decision of Geneva to allow you to negotiate with the aliens for assistance in repairing their ship, provided that they permit UNIT technical staff to assist in the process. The ship will be move to a secure warehouse in London where repairs will be made and they will be given the ability to request materials that they need. Colonel Benton is to accompany you inside the ship to complete the agreement. Do you understand?"

"I do sir," Rose said allowing only a small smile. "Thank you sir." Turning to Benton, Rose said, "I think they have been left waiting nervously long enough."

"Agreed," Benton said before turning to the screens. "I shall report back once negotiations are complete."

"Good and Benton do not allow Torchwood access under any circumstances given what we are doing," General Lethbridge-Stewart added.

"Understood sir," Benton replied before saluting. He touched Rose's arm gently to tell her it was time to head out.

Benton put his hat back on as they stepped outside and cast a glance over to where Magambo was still refusing entry to Torchwood. Rose watched a dark look pass over his face before he turned back to her and started walking towards the ship.

"What is Torchwood?" Rose asked as they moved to the ship.

"Torchwood is an organization based in the United Kingdom that deals with aliens."

"You don't like them much," Rose observed.

"They liked to cause problems for Alistair back when the Doctor worked as our scientific advisor," Benton said. "I know you don't like everything UNIT does Rose, but trust me when I say we try to think of the ramifications of our actions more than Torchwood does."

"I'm grateful UNIT agreed to my plan," Rose admitted. "I was a bit worried." 

"You made good points," Benton said. "And you're a human with a stake on this planet. That gives you a right to express such ideas to UNIT." Benton chuckled, "Plus I think they thought the Doctor would show up to back you up."

Rose decided to ignore that remark and as they moved around the earthen wall the ship crash had caused. She stepped forward and gave the signal to Etiger that it was safe to reopen the ship. Stepping forward in front of the entrance, Rose smirked as a loud hiss sounded and the entrance slid open.

"I warn you," Rose said over her shoulder to Colonel Benton. "They are pretty short so you'll have to bend over in here."

Benton chuckled as he watched Rose enter the strange ship. He glanced back over his shoulder briefly to his watching troops and gave them a reassuring nod before he stepped inside. Strangely the loyalty he had to the Doctor that had almost resulted in him being court martialed once seemed to have transferred effortlessly to Rose Tyler. Suppressing a laugh, Benton ducked slightly and followed Rose into the alien ship.


	9. Crash Jurisdiction: Hanger Three

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Nine: Hanger Three

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: I still need Xylok name suggestions and then I'm planning on putting up a poll on my account to have my amazing readers vote on their favorite.

Everything had been going perfectly with the Tervtians and UNIT. Due to their trade relations with the Durmion Empire all the Tervtians had the same translators and were able to speak with any UNIT officer wearing the ones the Durmions had given Earth. Normal foot soldiers were slightly confused as to what was happening, but remained calm throughout the final negotiations. The Tervtians had happily agreed to the plan of moving the ship to a secure location as apparently the middle of a field felt very vulnerable to them. Rose had stubbornly refused to leave until the large truck and machines arrived and only then left Etiger to move her bike before something smashed it. To Rose's relief Torchwood had finally departed, but a glance at Magmbo told Rose that the woman was still concerned with Hartman's demands.

"Rose!" a familiar masculine voice shouted happily behind her as one of the large trucks for lifting the ship rolled past her. Turning, Rose spotted Malcolm walking towards her with a large smile on his face. Smiling in return, Rose walked up to the man and accepted his hug.

"Hello Malcolm," Rose said pleasantly.

"Hello Rose," Malcolm said before looking over at the ship. "Exciting isn't it! I actually get to work with aliens on a spaceship of all things."

"They put you on the project?" Rose asked before grinning. "Yeah I suppose they would. Will Tosh be working on it with you?" 

"Oh yes I insisted on it. If there is anyone who will be able to make sense out of alien technology quickly it will be Toshiko. She is preparing the hanger with tools and spare parts to begin with. We'll be able to get the Tervtians what they need later on if we need to."

"I see," Rose said as she looked over and watched as the cranes were moved around the ship. "Come on, I was just moving my bike, but I can introduce you to Etiger."

"Oh excellent," Malcolm said as he shoved his hand into his pocket. "But let me put on my translator first. The message I received said they have something similar."

"Correct," Rose said with a nod. "Slightly telepathic technology."

"Marvelous isn't it," Malcolm said moving forward with Rose. His eyes were wide and excited making Rose smile softly and shake her head in amusement.

Malcolm managed to remain calm while they walked closer to the cranes. Rose moved forward to where Etiger and his crew were waiting. The injured Tervtians had already been moved into a truck for transport, but Etiger and Cerit were watching the cranes lift the ship with three other Tervtians.

"Captain Etiger," Rose said softly as she walked over to them. "This is Doctor Malcolm Taylor; he is the primary human scientist that will be helping you repair your ship."

"Pleasure to meet you Captain Etiger," Malcolm said with a warm smile. "I'm sorry your entry to Earth has been less than pleasant."

"Thank you Doctor Taylor," Etiger replied with a nod. "Crash bad, but help unexpected. Very good for us. We see families again."

The conversation was cut short when the cranes finished moving the ship onto the back of a large truck. UNIT personnel quickly surrounded it to secure the large cover over the ship to hide it during the trip. They were heading to the Old UNIT headquarters right outside of London to use one of the warehouses. Etiger nodded, pleased with the work done and turned back to Rose and Malcolm.

"Time to go now. Much work to do and crew need rest."

"What is your plan?" Malcolm asked Rose as the remaining Tervtians entered into the truck to follow the ship to the old Head Quarters.

"I'm going to take my bike back to London," Rose told him. "The Tervtians will be resting tonight and starting work in the morning. Since it is the weekend I'll come to help get things started."

"Ah so staying with your mother then," Malcolm said with a nod as they started walking back towards the road.

"Yeah, she'll be a bit confused, but I'll just tell her that you invited me to help you with a project this weekend."

"What about next week when you have classes?"

"Well," Rose paused and shrugged, "If you need me or the Tervtians want me there I can either skip or come down after classes. London isn't really that far from Cambridge and the old HQ is even less distance."

"No skipping classes," Malcolm said sternly. "We'll manage without you around classes." 

"Yes Uncle Malcolm," Rose teased as she watched the trucks return to the road and start the trip back to London. Glancing down at her watch, Rose yawned realizing that it was already 11PM at night. It was doubtful that Jackie would still be awake when she got home. Glancing over her shoulder, Rose watched Malcolm climb into another truck and the remaining soldiers start taking down the lights to finish packing things up. Rose pulled on her helmet and gloves from her motorcycle box, packing her bag away. She gave the trucks a few moments to give herself some space before she pulled out and started following them back towards London.

As Rose expected Jackie was asleep when Rose stepped into the house. Quietly she locked the front door and crept into the kitchen. Jackie was often an early riser, even if not a productive one so Rose quickly wrote a note to her mother and placed it on the table where she would be sure to find it. Trying to stay quiet, Rose ducked into the toilet for a quick shower to get rid of the dirt and grime she had gotten covered with the crash site. Rose took one of the unopened toothbrushes from the cupboard, grateful that Jackie still liked to buy in packs and finished getting ready for bed. She cleaned her leather jacket quickly before slipping into her room.

Morning arrived in an instant and Rose's alarm beeped softly at her. Dragging the duvet down from over her head, Rose groaned and opened her eyes. It took her a moment to remember why she was at the house in London, but as the memories settled into the front of her mind Rose grinned. Leaping from her bed, Rose quickly got dressed and dashed across the hall into the toilet. She could hear her mother moving around in her own room, probably using the master bath in her bedroom.

The note was gone from the table and kettle was warming on the stove signifying that Jackie had already been downstairs. Smiling slightly, Rose pulled out the making for breakfast and started cooking. She'd probably be on site all day so taking some extra time to have meal with her mother seemed like a good idea. Rose had set the table and had bacon, eggs and beans ready when Jackie came down stairs in jeans and a pink shirt.

"Morning Mum," Rose said with a smile just before kissing Jackie on the cheek.

"Morning sweetheart," Jackie said as she sat down at the table and started dishing up food. "I found your note. Why are you home for the weekend?"

"Doctor Taylor is working on a project that he thought I'd be helpful on. I'm ahead on my work so it seemed like a great idea to get some experience."

"Doctor Taylor," Jackie said thoughtfully before nodding. "Oh that professor that you met when he lectured at your school. He's feeding you projects?"

"Malcolm calls me when he needs an extra hand," Rose said with a shrug. "And as a student in science how can I refuse."

"A bit more notice would have been better," Jackie said between bites. "It's rude to expect you just to drop everything."

"The project sort of dropped on him," Rose replied with a grin. "Anyway I'll be out all day and probably will not be home until late so don't wait up for me."

Jackie held back a sigh and nodded letting the subject drop. "I've been meaning to talk with you about Mickey."

"Oh what about him?" Rose asked.

"Well you know that he's working for the military now and doing school part time right."

"Of course," Rose replied. "He's got a new flat in central London near his school."

"Yes, well his grandmother still lives back in Peckham, she didn't want to move in with him."

"Why not?"

Jackie chuckled, "Said she wanted her boy to live his life like someone his age should and not have to worry about his grandmother living with him."

Rose chuckled, understanding the real meaning of that statement. "But you're thinking of asking her to move in here, right?" Rose guessed with a smile.

"Makes sense," Jackie said. "She's a nice woman and Mickey comes by to check on me all the time since you're in Cambridge."

"Mum," Rose asked. "Everything is alright in the house?" 

Jackie shook her head, "I lived in that flat back at the Powell Estates for eighteen years. It feels a bit lonely here is all and the house has all those empty bedrooms."

"It's your house Mum," Rose said. "It sounds like a nice idea."

"You paid for it," Jackie remarked with a shrug. "And your solicitors pay the taxes on it."

"I bought it for you," Rose said gently. "That's why I wanted you to pick it out. I want you to be happy here so do what will make you happy." Rose paused, "Just mind the boyfriends."

"It's been a while since I dated a man that was that bad Rose," Jackie huffed. "But thank you." Jackie glanced over at the clock as Rose started cleaning up the kitchen. "You go ahead and leave sweetheart, I'll clean up."

Rose nodded and hugged her mother at the front door. Jackie shook her head as Rose pulled out her motorcycle helmet. "You should get a car!"

"I'm thinking about it," Rose shouted back. "But I'm not getting rid of the bike."

Jackie huffed again and sipped at her tea as she watched Rose swing herself over her motorcycle. Grinning at her mother, Rose waved before she took off down the road to head for the current site of UNIT operations with the directions Malcolm had given her.

The old UNIT headquarters was a few miles beyond the city with only very few homes nearby. It was an old brick building with ivy growing over it, but behind it were three large hangers that were usually used by UNIT as warehouses for vehicles or supplies. Security was still in place despite the site not being used often and it took Rose five minutes to be allowed entry and gain directions. It was only 8AM, but already many soldiers were patrolling the perimeter and Rose could see several scientists and members of the Malcolm's team that she recognized moving around the outside of the far right hanger that was marked as hanger three.

In the last nine hours since the ship had departed the field a lot had changed. The ship was suspended a few feet above the ground by crane system inside the hanger. A few Tervtians were moving around the ship and speaking with UNIT staff and Cerit was speaking with Toshiko near the entrance of the ship. Rose couldn't help smirking at the sight of humans working with an alien species for the purpose of doing the right thing. Not to mention she had no doubt that Tosh and the others would learn a lot from this job which would prove to UNIT that this had been a good idea.

"You look pleased with yourself," Rose jumped slightly at the voice of Colonel Benton who was smirking three feet behind her. "Of course Rose you have good reason to be," the Colonel added as he stepped up next to her.

"I take it things are going well," Rose asked.

"Yes, Doctor Taylor's team has done an excellent job assembling spare parts that are being refashioned into replacements. Toshiko Sato has already rebuilt half of the computer system with the help of their engineer Cerit. It is actually quite amazing and the Tervtians did not object to our people recording what is happening for later study."

"They wouldn't," Rose said with a shrug. "These are simple traders who just want to get home and the conditions UNIT has given them are very reasonable."

"You seem more positive towards UNIT," Benton observed after a moment.

"It isn't a secret that I had a bad run with UNIT. My first meeting with them wasn't bad after that incident with the Mona Lisa, but Adams left a bad taste in my mouth." Rose looked over at Benton and smiled softly, "If it makes you feel better than yes I feel better about UNIT now that I did before."

"We're trying to do what is best for the whole planet," Benton said, "Sometimes that forces tough decisions." Benton paused and looked over at Tosh, "And you might be happy to know that UNIT high command in Geneva is starting to create a set of international rules for alien technology and trials to deal with violators."

"So no more locking people up without trials," Rose asked with a hopeful smile.

"It is in progress," Benton said. "It will be a few years before the system is completely in place, but Toshiko's performance here in the British Division has given some backing to proponents of a justice system for dealing with matters concerning aliens and their technology."

"Wow," Rose said with wide eyes and at Benton's raised eyebrow she shrugged. "I guess I figured that all of high command was soldiers."

"Most are," Benton said, "But we are part of the United Nations so there are civilians on the command council."

"Better and better," Rose said giving Benton a smile. "Well I should go see Malcolm and let him put me to work." 

"Good idea, the Tervtians have been asking where you are."

"Really?" Rose asked with wide eyes before grinning. "Cool!"

Rose found Malcolm at a work table with a welding torch, lots of wire and an odd metal bar so she decided it was better to wait patiently rather than tap him on the shoulder. Instead Rose headed off to find Toshiko. Cerit was speaking with another Tervtian just inside the ship so Rose climbed up the flight of stairs that looked like UNIT had taken from an airport to enter the ship.

"Star Knight," Cerit greeted in a much happier tone than Rose had heard from him before. "You come back." 

"Of course," Rose said, "I promised that I'd help you."

"UNIT help good," Cerit said. "Toshiko clever. She fix much of system. Computer fixed in three days."

"That's great," Rose told him. "What about the engine repairs?"

"Much slower," Cerit admitted. "Must build new parts. Give plans to Taylor. He make us new parts so we fix ship."

Rose nodded and looked into the ship, "That sounds great Cerit. Why don't you tell me where Toshiko is and I'll go and help her."

"Star Knight know ship?" Cerit asked with a cocked head.

"I fixed a Verlan ship when I was fifteen," Rose said. "Anyway I'd like to help."

"Not know Verlan," Cerit said, "But follow to Toshiko."

Toshiko had taken over a large part of the control room and Rose bit back a chuckle. Tosh had computer spare parts in large clear plastic bins around her and was using one of those skateboard like things that she'd seen Mickey use when fixing cars. Cerit pointed to Tosh before he turned to return to the other workers. Rose took a soft step forward and giggled as she realized that Tosh was humming.

"Hey Tosh," Rose said when her friend jumped at the sound of Rose's giggle. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Tosh rolled out from under the system with a smile and stood up. Her jacket had some slight scorch marks on it and her hair was a mess, but she was grinning. Smiling in return, Rose walked up and hugged the older woman warmly before asking, "So what can I do to help?"

"Excellent," Tosh said as she handed Rose a tool kit. "Malcolm put me in charge of repairing the computer system while he helps rebuild the engine, but reconstructing parts is taking a lot of people."

"Ah," Rose said. "So I just became your lovely assistant and gofer.."

"Something like that," Tosh agreed. "Come on, I'll explain the basics of the system and you can start reshaping the parts for it."

"Goody," Rose muttered as she shrugged out of her leather jacket and put on the work jacket that Tosh offered her. "And to think I could have been doing my homework." 

"You love it," Toshiko said as she turned back to the system.

"Yeah, it seems I do," Rose said as she followed Toshiko to the system.

"Oh and congratulations on convincing UNIT to do this," Toshiko said suddenly with a soft smile. "Things are going really well so far. All of the science team is working overtime to make this work out. The idea of actually working with aliens is awesome."

"UNIT worked with the Doctor," Rose said.

"That was years ago," Toshiko said. "And UNIT went through some changes after he left, but from what I've seen things are swinging back." 

"As long as it doesn't swing back to shooting at everything first before asking questions." 

"If helping the Tervtians goes well and we are able to reproduce some of their technology after they go I think you'll get your wish."

"I'm just trying to help," Rose replied with a slight shrug and blush.

Toshiko looked right at Rose and said, "You don't realize yet how much sway you have in UNIT Rose, but you might want to figure it out because it is going to help you a lot in the future."

Nodding nervously, Rose quickly turned back to the task Toshiko had given her. Sure UNIT seemed to take her advice on matters, but Tosh seemed to think that she could steer the future of the organization and that just didn't seem possible to her. Rose was shocked out of her thoughts as a large explosion knocked the ship sideways and she lost her footing, sliding towards the other end of the room.


	10. Crash Jurisdiction:Hanger Two Under Fire

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Ten: Hanger Two Under Fire

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: A poll for the name of Xylok is now up at my account Lumendea. You can select two choices out of my favorite suggestions that I received. If you have any last minute great ideas let me know. Huge thanks to Kent Rigel for helping my clean up this chapter. Apparently I shouldn't write well exhausted.

Grabbing onto a chair, Rose was able to catch herself, but flinched at the sounds of screaming outside the ship. Glancing over her shoulder, Rose saw Tosh pulling herself up against the tilt of the floor. The angle wasn't terrible, but they were going to have a hard time climbing out on their own.

"Tosh?" Rose called down, "Are you hurt?"

"Bruised," Toshiko answered. "The explosion must have snapped the cabling holding that side of the ship off of the ground." Then they both heard a terrible creaking. "Brace yourself," Tosh shouted. "The other side is about to go."

Rose tightened her grip on the chair as the room suddenly fell out from under her the other way. Her eyes closed involuntarily as the ship crashed onto the floor with a screeching sound. After a moment, Rose forced her eyes open and took a breath. The ship was level again, but the boxes had flown across the room, spilling their contents across the floor. Turning to Toshiko, Rose saw her friend standing up slowly, grasping her shoulder.

"Tosh?" Rose asked taking a step towards her.

"Don't worry about me," Tosh said sharply. "I have a dislocated shoulder, but others outside may be much worse off." Tosh took a shaky breath, "The explosion was outside Rose, check on the people out there first. We were shielded by the ship."

Nodding hesitantly, Rose turned and headed for the entrance. She encountered a shaking Cerit and Etiger a short way down the hall who were trying to get to their feet. Like herself and Tosh they had been tossed around, but had been protected by the ship's structure.

"Are you injured?" Rose asked them both quickly.

"Not hurt bad," Etiger groaned. "What happen?"

"I don't know," Rose said as she looked towards the door. "Are all your people inside the ship?"

"Everyone in engine room," Etiger said. "Except medic Regik and hurt crew. They in Hanger Two with UNIT doctors."

"Good," Rose said. "I'm going to see what is happening. Keep all of your crew inside the ship in case there is another explosion." Turning to Cerit Rose asked, "Could anything on the exterior of the ship cause this?"

"No, not ship. Engines all off for repairs. Cargo harmless. Not ship."

"Then absolutely stay inside the ship," Rose said. "I'll be back." 

Rose rushed down the hall, feeling a rush of adrenaline in her veins kicking in and her muscles working properly again. She paused twice to check on two Tervtians that she came across. Rose told them to stay inside the ship for safety and check on all the other Tervtians who were in the ship. Bracing herself for the worst, Rose walked to the entrance and flinched slightly at the twisted metal that made up the frame.

Outside the ship were soldiers who were slowly starting to move, but many were bleeding badly. Rose rushed forward to the closest one of them, a private with the name Hicks on his uniform. Feeling for a pulse, Rose's shoulders slumped as she found none and realized that the shock wave must have killed him. Looking up, Rose checked the ceiling. A large hole had been blown in the hanger right above the suspension system which accounted for the ship falling. Debris was scattered about under her, but not as much as she would have assumed. Standing up, Rose moved to the next soldier, a man named Williams, and sighed in relief as she saw a team of UNIT doctors rushing into the building and to the wounded soldiers.

One of the medical doctors rushed over the soldier that Rose was checking on, "Are you hurt Tyler?"

"No," Rose answered quickly. "I was in the ship."

"Good," the Doctor checked the man's pulse and started putting tight straps on his wounded limbs, Rose guessed to prevent him from bleeding out. Looking around, Rose sighed in relief as she saw Malcolm stumble over to help one of the other medical doctors. The soldiers stationed outside were spilling into the building to help. Glancing around, Rose noted that it seemed as if all the troops in the compound were entering the building with the medical doctors.

"You were in Hanger Two with the injured Tervtians right?" Rose asked the closest medical doctor who nodded to her while keeping her attention on the patient.

"Yes, we heard the explosion and came over," the doctor replied without really paying attention.

"Then everyone is in here," Rose said to herself as she looked around and then back over at the ship. It hadn't taken any real extra damage so, what was the point? "Wait everyone is in this hanger!" Rose shouted as she started running for the hanger door. As she rushed past the other soldiers, Rose shouted, "This is a diversion! Hanger Two is under attack!"

Rose didn't turn around to see if anyone was following her as she rushed towards Hanger Two, but she really hoped that some of the soldiers were. An army ambulance was parked in front of the building, backed just a little way into it which was Rose's first hint that something was off. It had not been there when she had arrived that morning and while it was a military ambulance it didn't make sense to her that it would be parked there when a bomb had just exploded. Rose slowed down and kept close to the hanger wall so she could glance inside the hanger.

A man in a standard UNIT uniform was standing in front of the Tervtian's medic Regik with a handgun in one hand and odd looking handcuffs that had a few lit buttons in the other. His back was turned to her so Rose slipped into the makeshift medical hanger. Several large boxes of supplies remained in this hanger so Rose was able to slowly make her way across the room until she had a better view of the situation. The man was tall and very plain looking, the sort of person that would go unnoticed. Looking back towards the ambulance, Rose grimaced as the inside of the vehicle had restraints just waiting for the Tervtians.

Regik was pleading with the man in his soft high voice, "Please no harm us. We have agreement. You help us, not hurt."

"I don't understand you alien," the man sneered at the alien. "But according to my intel you understand me. Hold still and I won't shot you or any of your patients." The man looked at the three injured Tervtians who were cowered by one of the medical beds. One of them was lying on the bed with an injured leg which only served to make Rose angrier. "Now into the van and remain quiet. I only need to deliver one of you alive so keep in mind that three of you are expendable."

Regik's shoulders slumped as he turned to help the Tervtian with the injured leg off of the bed and towards the ambulance. Turning her eyes to their attacker, Rose carefully crept around the boxes so she'd be in a better position against him. She still hesitated to attack because of the gun he had drawn and given that he had set off a bomb in Hanger Three Rose had no doubt that he would use it. The stranger's movement stopped suddenly and Rose glanced around the crates to see UNIT soldiers lining up at the doorway with their weapons on him.

"Took you long enough," Rose sighed under her breath.

"Ah, my diversion didn't work as well as I'd hoped," the stranger responded calmly as he stepped to the side and put his gun against the head of one of the Tervtians who shuddered in fear. "I hear that these aliens are simple traders who suffered some bad luck. You've already lost men to help them so do you intend to let one of them die?"

The soldiers did not fire and Rose saw Colonel Benton glaring at the stranger from behind them. The stranger smirked and then calmly reached to his belt and pulled out a strange round disk roughly an inch tall. He tossed it at the UNIT soldiers who backed away from it, expecting another explosion. Instead a moment later it burst open and Rose had to close her eyes as a bright sparks of electricity whipped out and hit the UNIT soldiers. It lasted only a moment and all she heard was thuds as bodies hit the ground, no screaming or shooting. Slowly, Rose opened her eyes and looked towards the doorway where the cavalry had been. All the men were down on the ground, still twitching slightly, but alive.

"I have no desire to kill any more humans today," the stranger muttered before he turned back to Regik. "I believe that I gave you an order," he said.

The aliens moved forward towards the van carefully, flinching away from the fallen UNIT soldiers. Rose slipped out of her hiding place as the stranger turned away from her yet again to watch the Tervtians climb into the back of the truck. She came at him from behind, dropping down to swipe her leg under him. He fell to the side, the gun slipping from his hand across the floor by a few feet. Without hesitating, Rose jumped forward to grab it, but the stranger caught her leg with his hand and pulled her back. Feeling herself falling, Rose adjusted herself to avoid injury and rolled to the side just in time to miss her opponent's leg. Flipping herself up quickly from the ground, Rose slipped into a back stance to face her opponent.

They were both still for only a moment and she saw the stranger glance at the gun on the floor. She didn't give him the chance to move for it and attacked him with a roundhouse kick. As he was pushed back, Rose attacked him with a thrusting strike only to be blocked as he captured her hand. He smirked at her and tried to twist her arm so she had her back to him. Dropping herself to the ground, Rose managed to throw him over her shoulder and across the floor. He hit the ground and rolled, striking his leg up before Rose could block. She stumbled back from the blow to her chest and he used the chance to roll back to his feet. He was trained in at least karate and probably judo. Pushing such thoughts from her head, Rose focused on her UNIT training and classes instead of thinking about what to do.

He came at her with another kick which Rose spun away from and used the opening to deliver a blow to his ribs. The stranger stumbled to the side and Rose brought her knee up against his chest. His fist caught Rose in the shoulder as he swung at her even as he backed away in pain. Flinching, Rose panted for breath, the blows from the much heavier opponent wearing her down. She examined his stance as he glanced at him. He was glancing at the gun again so Rose darted towards it. Since he was right behind her, Rose settled for kicking it towards the van and ducked out of his path. Settling for speed over strength, Rose delivered three rapid punches to his side before jumping out of his reach. She felt a great deal of satisfaction when she noted at he was breathing harder than her now.

"You're a bit young for a UNIT soldier," the stranger said after a moment of sizing her up. "You're what twenty?" 

"Eighteen actually," Rose replied with a smirk.

"Well you should know that I have no intention of being beaten by a little blonde girl."

"I'm not that blonde," Rose argued. "And yeah you are going to be beaten. I'm not going to let you hurt them." 

"You'd protect aliens and fight a member of your own species?" the stranger asked with a raised eyebrow. "Interesting morality."

"Oh yeah I should side with the guy that just killed members of his own species over the innocent aliens who haven't hurt anyone. If you didn't get it that was sarcasm."

"I got it," he sneered. "Breaks over and now you're going to get it."

He came at Rose with almost a roar. With a quick thought, Rose summoned her sword to her hand, slipped out of his direct path and drove her sword through his shoulder. It wouldn't hit any organs, but it would hurt like hell. He dropped with a groan and Rose withdrew the sword and let it return to its bracelet form. The stranger stumbled up and touched his wound as he backed away from Rose. She would have giggled at his confusion, as he had probably not even seen the sword long enough to realize that it had been there. Normally she would have considered that cheating, but since he was a murderer Rose felt fine with using what she had to take him down.

"Bitch," he hissed.

"When I need to be," Rose replied.

She let him move first again and met his assault with another kick to the chest before she brought her knee up to his groin. That took him down and Rose was finally able to back away slowly from him. The stranger was still groaning, but she risked a glance over at the UNIT personnel to find Regik attending to them.

"Are they okay?"

"Not dead," Regik told her. "Shocked, but will recover later in day."

Nodding, Rose scooped up one of the rifles and pointed it at the prone body. "Regik, please go and tell the people in Hanger Three that I need assistance. They wouldn't have heard anything with them tending to injuries."

The stranger managed to look up at Rose and glared at her. Glaring right back at him, Rose refused to take her eyes off of him now. She knew that it was a fairly long run between hangers for a Tervtian, but it still felt like it was taking forever for anyone to arrive. Footfalls behind Rose made her risk a glance over her shoulder to see Captain Magambo rushing into the hanger with three more soldiers and a doctor, Mickey among them. The next shift for the day must have arrived or at least reinforcements.

"Tyler?" Magambo asked taking in the scene while the doctor quickly started checking on the down troops.

"This man set the bomb to distract everyone. All medical personnel and all troops not on the perimeter rushed to Hanger Three leaving four Tervtians exposed. He wanted them alive," Rose explained gesturing to the disguised military ambulance. "I got here first and slipped inside before the troops so I wasn't with them when he used some kind of electrical grenade from his belt. Be careful he might still have something."

Mickey stepped up next to Rose and gently took the gun from her, letting her relax slightly. She'd take responsibility for a gun if she had to, but her preference was definitely to let UNIT soldiers take care of it.

"Very well Thorn," Magambo said glaring at the man. "You are under arrest and in UNIT custody. Two good men died in your explosion and three more are in critical condition. Do not expect any favors from us."

One of the soldiers walked around the man and stripped off his belt while another handcuffed him. Mickey touched Rose's shoulder gingerly and frowned as she hissed. "You need to see a medic," he said gently.

"What I need is to make sure that the Tervtians are alright," Rose replied. "And there are a lot of people in need of medical care more than me."

"Headquarters is sending up reinforcements," Magambo said. "I only just arrived with a shift change and was at the main building. That must have been when he slipped inside with his ambulance."

"But when did he set up the bomb?" Mickey asked.

Magambo sighed, "He may have managed it last night. Since this location is only used for storage the security was lacking before this incident. We will have to question him, but it is very likely that he arranged most of this while the trucks were en route."

"So it may have been Torchwood or an inside job."

"Do not speculate Private Smith," Magambo replied with a sigh. "There are more important things to worry about. Thorn, check on the Tervtians and report back to me in Hanger Three on their status. Private Smith you will remain here. I shall send more troops up from the main building to assist you. When the reinforcements arrive the security will be triple checked to prevent another incident while the Tervtians are our guest."

"Yes Captain," Rose replied with a nod.

Magambo turned to walk back over to the doctor that was checking the fallen men. She paused and glanced back at Rose with a small smile, "And Thorn, isn't it a good thing you paid attention to those martial arts lessons UNIT gave you."

"You keep calling me Thorn," Rose commented with a raised eyebrow.

"Right now you are that same rose with thorns that took down that Durmino general so it fits."

Rose shook her head as Magambo turned her attention to the doctor and the situation at hand. Mickey chuckled next to her as she walked over to Regik who was helping his patients back into their beds. "What's so funny?" Rose asked with a glance at him.

"You have a codename now," Mickey replied. "You've just become UNIT's action hero."

Rose rolled her eyes and groaned, "Oh just shut up."


	11. Crash Jurisdiction: Questions and Keys

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Eleven: Questions and Keys

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: The poll for the Xylok name has concluded, thank you to everyone who voted. I had a great scene pop into my head for that so that is how this 'episode' is going to close.

Five hours of cleanup and medical checkups later, the soldiers and officers of UNIT were starting to relax. The two dead men had been removed and while everyone was angry about their deaths, there had been good news on all the injured staff. Colonel Benton had woken up after three hours and handed command over to Captain Mamgabo when Doctor Bates sternly refused to allow anyone who had suffered the shock back onto active duty. General Lethbridge-Stewart was on his way after discussing the incident with Geneva. However, despite Rose's fears the orders had come through that they were to resume repairs on the ship and protect the Tervtians. Whatever reservations UNIT staff might have had previously about helping the aliens fix their ship and return home had been completely destroyed by the attack.

The ship had been left on the ground for the time being while a new system was assembled to hold it more securely and closer to the ground. The Tervtians were somber as they worked, often stopping soldiers and expressing their gratitude and condolences. Toshiko had been restricted to a desk with her arm in a sling after having her shoulder popped back into place so she was trying to track their mysterious attacker who was being interrogated in London. Despite the fact that the man had burned off his fingerprints and wasn't listed in any DNA database Toshiko still seemed to be managing. Rose took over repairing the computer system with Cerit and Malcolm's help after they decided that having the computer functional would help with engine repairs and allow Cerit to run a diagnostics to make sure that the explosion hadn't damaged anything else. The alien engineer doubted that being dropped had made things worse, but did not want to risk an engine test until he was sure.

Given that Rose's chest and shoulder were badly bruised from her fight, Malcolm insisted that she leave her bike at the compound rather than try to ride it home. Instead Malcolm himself delivered Rose home safely at nine that night and told her he'd be back for her in ten hours before heading home himself. Jackie was a sitting in front of the telly with a pile of gossip magazines and a cup of tea when Rose entered through the front door.

"Hello sweetheart," her mother greeted warmly.

"Hi Mum," Rose said softly bending down to kiss her mother on the cheek. She managed not to flinch at the movement, but quickly excused herself from the room when the phone rang.

Her chest had a harsh dark mark on it despite being treated earlier by the doctors. Luckily her attacker hadn't broken any of her ribs to Rose's amazement and she found herself saying thank you to her martial arts and kickboxing teachers. A hot shower helped her muscles relax as Rose forced herself to stretch out her tired and sore body. Despite having had a sandwich at UNIT she was still feeling hungry. Rose went downstairs and shouted her thanks to her mum when she discovered leftover pasta. A quick second meal later, Rose brushed her teeth and fell into bed.

Morning arrived quickly and Rose was soon back at the old UNIT headquarters. Security had been doubled, but since Rose was with Malcolm she was spared many of the normal procedures. To her own surprise, Rose was called into the meeting on the finding about yesterday's incident. General Lethbridge-Stewart was at the head of the table with a stack of reports, Colonel Benton to his right and a rather nervous looking Toshiko one seat to the left. Slipping into a seat next to Tosh, Rose touched her friend's arm gently while Malcolm to the seat immediately to the General's left.

"Well we'll all here now so let's get underway," the General said after Magambo and Doctor Bates, the head medical doctor, had taken their seats. "I am certain that you all are aware of what occurred yesterday. An explosive device attached to the roof of Hanger Three caused a collapse of the rigging system holding the Tervtian ship. Two men Private Hicks and Corporal Aggins were killed by the shockwave. Three soldiers remain in the hospital with serious injuries."

The General paused and looked over at Rose. She hadn't seen him the previous day in his rush to complete reports and speak with Colonel Benton and Captain Magambo. "However, the good news is that the man responsible was caught in the process of trying to remove four Tervtians from the compound." The General then looked back at Toshiko, "What have you discovered?"

Tosh stood up and walked over to the large screen that was connected to her laptop. Calmly, she brought up a military file for the man that Rose quickly recognized.

"This man is Nathan Watson," Toshiko said. "He was born in London in 1971. His father was military and he grew up moving around the world based on his father's assignments. His mother passed away when he was ten. Watson moved to the United States as an adult and changed his citizenship before joining the navy. He trained as a navy seal and had a short career previous to punching out his commanding officer in 1995. Watson dropped off the radar for a few years," Tosh said as she hit another key and brought up a grainy imagine. "The next verified appearance of him I could find was in 1998. He was working as a mercenary in Africa. After that he appears to have found steady employment as a mercenary around the world, but I can find no connections to a team or agency so as of now I cannot say who was hiring him. In 2003 he dropped off the radar again following an incident in Nepal. There are no records or evidence of him for the eighteen months"

"So who hired him for this mission?" the General asked suddenly. "He must have known about aliens before this."

"Unknown sir," Toshiko replied. "As you requested I checked all possible connections to Torchwood, but there is no evidences that they arranged for him to attack the Tervtians."

"So it wasn't Torchwood?" Malcolm asked with a frown.

"There is no evidence," Toshiko said. "I hacked into the Torchwood financial records and found no sign of any transfers to Nathan Watson. His own records indicate that the transfer of fund actually came from an account in Morocco which was connected to a dummy company. Again I could find no link that proves Torchwood was involved."

"It must be Torchwood," Malcolm muttered. "Who else could it be?"

"We cannot accuse Torchwood without evidence," the General said firmly. "Torchwood is the British government's arm for alien incidents. I have no intention of having UNIT being asked to leave the United Kingdom. Unless evidence is found that Torchwood is absolutely linked to this event we must proceed normally. If Torchwood truly was not involved than we need to keep up security and be prepared that there may be another party interested in the Tervtians."

"And Nathan Watson?" Rose asked, leaning her elbow on the table.

"He is being transported to Geneva and will have the dubious honor of being the first human tried by the new Extraterrestrial Jurisdiction Court," the General replied with a dark look.

The meeting dragged on for another hour as everyone provided the General with updates. Rose found it difficult to just sit at the table and listen. She had enough of that sort of thing during the week at university and her job wasn't to offer any reports. However, Rose did manage to stay aware of the updates, none of which actually impacted her. Normally as the special consultant her job was to offer new ideas and alternatives, but with UNIT still planning on helping the Tervtians and already expressing satisfaction with their new knowledge she had very little to worry about. It occurred to Rose that this was probably one of those events that created alternate realties based on the decisions people made and she couldn't help but smile at the one she was living in.

The meeting finally broke up and Malcolm left with Tosh to relieve the group of scientists that had been working on it through the night. UNIT had three shifts of staff working on the ship around the Tervtians resting in Hanger Two under increased guard. After the attack, UNIT seemed even more determined to get the Tervtians off of Earth for everyone's sake. Cerit was waiting for Rose near the ship and she waved for Malcolm and Tosh to head into the ship without her. It was only four feet off the ground today with support underneath the ship was well as double the cables holding it up from the ceiling which was being patched up at that very moment. The efficiency of military teams still astounded Rose.

"Not have chance to speak alone after attack," Cerit told her. "Need to say thank you."

"You're welcome," Rose said. "I'm just glad none of your people were hurt."

"Two humans killed," Cerit replied sadly.

"That was the fault of a human," Rose told him sadly. "Not your people." Rose looked up at the ship, "Come on, we'd better see what we can get done today. I have to go back to school tomorrow."

"You a student?" Cerit asked with surprise.

"Yes, I'm still a student and my advisor will not accept this as an excuse for missing class."

Cerit was about to reply with some kind of humorous comment judging from the look on his face, but he paused as an odd wheezing noise began to echo through the hanger. Rose straightened up and turned quickly to look towards the source of the wind that was starting to blow. Several soldiers had raised their weapons, but stopped in awe as the blue box that was a legend in UNIT materialized before their eyes. Grinning, Rose turned to Cerit and said, "Don't worry Cerit; this is a friend of ours. We'll speak more later."

Moving in front of the TARDIS, Rose motioned for the soldiers to give the Doctor more room. Turning to Private Jenkins, Rose quickly asked him to go and tell the General that the Doctor had arrived in Hanger Three. Jenkins looked back at the TARDIS and laughed softly before he saluted Rose and headed out for the administration building. Rose turned back to the TARDIS and crossed her arms over her chest while wondering which version she was going to see today.

The first Doctor she'd ever met, with blue-eyes and wearing the same leather coat, just over a green jumper this time stepped out of the TARDIS. To her satisfaction, the Doctor was a bit startled to see her standing there.

"Bit late aren't you?" Rose asked with a raised eyebrow, "Again."

"What are you doing here?" The Doctor demanded.

"I work here," Rose replied fighting back a grin. "You know just helping UNIT fix alien ships and avert disasters around university."

The Doctor was about to respond when a shout from the General made the Doctor turn to look to his right. The General was smiling slightly at the sight of the Doctor and his eyes darted between Rose and the Doctor.

"Ah Doctor, I see you remember Rose Tyler."

"So you work for UNIT now?" the Doctor asked looking back at Rose.

"Special Civilian Consultant," Rose answered with a nod. "My job to provide new insight and a different view."

"And lecture commanding officers when she feels the need," the General said with a shake of his head as he joined them by the TARDIS. "Which she seems to feel is necessary fairly often." The General shook the Doctor's hand, "Come with me Doctor, we can talk in the office and not distract the staff." Turning back to the various scientist and technicians, the General added, "That means back to work. There is a long way to go." Rose became to slip towards the ship, but the General sharply said, "Not you Thorn. My office."

Sighing, Rose turned back towards the Doctor and the General as they started walking towards the old UNIT headquarters.

"Thorn?" The Doctor asked as they walked behind the General.

"Long story that ends with me beating a Durmion general staging a coup," Rose replied with a shrug. "That was a few months ago."

"And you started to work for UNIT after that?"

"No, I took this positions last month after the Earth was nearly cracked open by an earthquake machine under the control of an alien." Rose relished the look of surprise, shock and touch of impressed on the Doctor's face. "You're the one that said I'm jeopardy friendly," Rose reminded him with a smirk.

"I was hoping you'd grow out of it," the Doctor remarked.

"Liar," Rose said with a laugh.

"If you two are quite finished," the General interrupted as they reached the door of his temporary office. They both quieted and walked inside to take a seat.

"My old lab," the Doctor said with a grin. "Course it's a bit different than it used to be." 

"This building is mostly used for storage and moving supplies," the General said as he sat down at the desk. "My old office is filled with filing cabinets with barely any space to walk in." Leaning back in his chair, the General looked at the Doctor and asked, "What brings you here today? You missed the action yesterday unless we're due for more trouble."

"What happened yesterday?" the Doctor asked, leaning forward slightly.

"You don't know?" Rose asked in confusion. "Then why are you here?"

The Doctor turned his attention back to her, considering her carefully before he relaxed into his chair. "The timelines around this point in Earth's history altered slightly." The Doctor looked at the General. "Sometimes the future is altered by a different choice in the past. Time is in flux most of the time around a few fixed points. I was simply curious as to what could have caused such a large change in the time lines."

"Good change or bad change?" the General asked calmly.

"Well if you consider Earth having much better early relationships with alien civilizations a good change than I would consider it a good change. Funny thing was that humans were on track to have rather violent first encounters, but that changed. So I repeat the question, what happened?"

"A trading vessel from the planet Tervti crashed near here two days ago with light damage and survivors. The decision was made to bring the ship here to undergo repairs. Yesterday there was an attack in the main hanger so that four Tervtians could be captured. The attacker was stopped, but we lost two men in the attack."

The Doctor was examining the General calmly before he turned to Rose, "This was your idea wasn't it."

"Why do you think that Doctor," the General asked with a touch of amusement in his voice only to receive a sharp unamused look in return.

"Rose has high time traces around her," the Doctor said. "I told you that they indicated that she had the potential to influence events in an extreme way."

"I'm right here you know," Rose snapped, crossing her arms. "And fine it was my suggestion to Geneva that Earth could gain more by working with the Tervtians to repair a ship rather than trying to reverse engineer something that crashed."

"Yeah, you've pushed Earth's technological development ahead by six years with this one event," the Doctor replied.

"My concern was helping some innocent aliens and making sure humans don't have a bad reputation in space," Rose responded with a shrug. "Everything else was my excuse to UNIT."

"I am still here as well Tyler," the General replied.

"Sorry," Rose said with an apologetic smile. "Anyway, I'll let you boys catch up," Rose said to the General as she stood up. "I'll be in Hanger Three if you need me." Turning to the Doctor, Rose smiled and added, "Doctor you better not try and leave without saying goodbye." 

"I won't," the Doctor promised her gently making her smile widen.

She nodded in satisfaction before leaving the room, being around him was extra awkward now that she was dating his next body. Shaking her head, Rose reminded herself that it was something she was just going to have to get used to. When she arrived back at Hanger Three she checked in on Tosh and Malcolm before she went to one of the workstations in the main hanger. Rose positioned herself so she could see the TARDIS whenever she looked up from the circuit panel she was working on. That calmed her down and Rose soon found herself humming softly while she worked.

"Rose?" the Doctor voice called from beside here causing Rose to jump.

"Doctor!?" Rose stammered out, "Weren't you talking with the General."

"Only for the last two and half hours," the Doctor replied with a chuckle.

Rose looked down at her watch, "Oh." She shrugged, "Keeping track of time isn't my strongest point when I'm working on a project."

"So I can see," the Doctor said as he picked up the circuit and examined it. "You're good at this."

"Thank you," Rose said with a smile. "I enjoy it."

The Doctor gave her a long look and handed her back the circuit. "So you like working with UNIT?"

"This is my first real time working for them," Rose said. "But they listened to my arguments and took an action I approve of so I'm grateful for that. Everyone is very nice to me and I love working with Malcolm and Tosh."

"Oh," the Doctor said as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"Why?" Rose asked gently, thinking she already knew the answer.

"I thought that maybe you could come with me," the Doctor said with a shrug as he looked over at the TARDIS.

"Not now," Rose replied softly.

"Fine," the Doctor said, his tone shifting slightly.

"Doctor I said not now, I didn't say no," Rose said firmly. He turned back to her at her tone. "I promised myself years ago that I'd go to university and earn a degree. I worked hard and made it into Cambridge. That isn't something I could walk away from without regretting it in the future." Rose set her tools down and leaned against the table with a smile. "Besides I think Ian would force you to regenerate if you took me away from school." 

"Ian?" the Doctor asked, his eyes widening slightly.

Rose grinned, her tongue slipping out over her teeth before she replied, "Ian Chesterton is my advisor and he now knows about regeneration. Actually I take it back, Barbara is the one more likely to be angry if you removed me from school."

"You know Ian and Barbara?" the Doctor asked in shock.

"Yeah, we met during that whole earthquake thing last month. They make me have dinner with them every other weekend. One of the reasons I'll be going back to Cambridge tomorrow."

The Doctor was just staring at Rose and she couldn't hold in her laugh anymore. "Breathe Doctor," Rose said as she recovered. "Anyway my contract with UNIT is valid while I'm at university. When I finish I'll take you up on that offer."

"You'll travel with me?"

"Course," Rose said with a smile and a nod.

"Three years then," the Doctor said. "Easy."

"Four years," Rose corrected. "Physics and computer science. Although," Rose said as she glanced down at the circuit she was working on. "Pretty easy when you consider that I spend my free time working on alien technology."

"Alright then," the Doctor said with a smile taking over his face, "Four years."

"Yeah," Rose agreed with a smile.

"Say hello to the Chestertons from me," the Doctor said as he dug into one of his pockets. 

"I will," Rose promised. "Take care of yourself until then." 

"Time machine Rose," The Doctor chuckled. "I only met you six days ago to me."

"Of course," Rose responded with an eye roll. She blinked when he took her hand and placed a warm metal object into it.

"TARDIS key," the Doctor told her. "Since you've agreed now."

Relaxing, Rose gave the Doctor a brilliant smile and whispered, "Thank you Doctor." He shifted nervously and swallowed before letting go of her hand. Taking a step back, the Doctor nodded.

"Until next time, Rose Tyler."

"Until next time Doctor," Rose agreed.

She watched the Doctor turn away from her and walk back to the TARDIS. He gave the UNIT staff and cheerful wave before vanishing into the TARDIS. Rose closed her fingers around the TARDIS key in her hand as it vanished from sight, unable to control her smile.

Work on Saturday went well and come Sunday afternoon Rose felt secure about leaving the Tervtians to UNIT's hands. Etiger and Cerit made her promise that she'd be back the next weekend and before they launched. UNIT was hopeful to have the Tervtians back into space within two weeks and Rose deeply hoped that they were correct. Before leaving the compound, Rose hugged Malcolm and Tosh promising to call very soon.

The trip back to Cambridge convinced Rose that she did need to decide upon a car. Her motorcycle was great in town, but she was tired and cold when she arrived back at her flat. After so many days away and working with so many people, her flat felt empty and quite. She had only a few hours to clean up before she was due at the Chestertons for dinner.

"I was wondering when you were going to return," the Xylok intoned from the worktable as Rose set her keys down in the kitchen and grabbed a yogurt from the refrigerator. "Has the situation been resolved?" 

"Surely you kept track of it through UNIT's systems," Rose replied as she turned her desk chair around. "I know you can manage that."

"I have examined the UNIT reports in your absence. However, it is clear that we need to add communications to you to the list for my next interface."

"Oh were you worried?" Rose asked as she opened her yogurt and started to eat.

"UNIT files indicated that you were in an altercation with an enemy agent," the Xylok responded.

"You are so sweet," Rose teased around licking her spoon and twirling her chair. "I'm fine and the Tervtians are doing well. Overall I would call it a success."

"Excellent," the Xylok replied. "While you were gone I also considered what name I should have."

"Really," Rose said with interest. "Normally someone else names a being."

"That is a human custom," the Xylok replied. "I am not a human, but if you insist on giving me a name I believed it more dignified to select my own."

"Okay," Rose said trying not to laugh. "What have you decided?" 

"I considered names of multiple cultures in meaning. I confess that I considered Folkvar and Hammond which both carrying the meaning of protector. I also considered H.A.P which would have stood for "have a purpose." However after careful evaluation of cultural history and meaning I concluded that there was one name that was highly suited to an intelligent being such as myself."

"And what name is that?"

"Spock," the Xylok replied.

"Spock?" Rose asked with a grin. "As in Star Trek?"

"I believe the connection and cultural connotation to be sufficient to a being of my purpose and intelligence."

"Spock," Rose repeated. "You want me to call you Spock."

"I believe Mister Spock will be a sufficient salutation."

"Spock," Rose muttered as she shook her head and giggled. "Well alright then, I suppose you can be allowed to choose your own name."

"Indeed," Mister Spock replied. "I believe it is far superior to anything you would have chosen to call me."

"Watch it Mister Spock," Rose replied before she paused. "You know I think it is starting to grow on me."

"Indeed," Mister Spock replied. "Now Rose if you are to have sufficient time to shower and redress before you must depart for the home of the Chestertons we must end this conversation."

"Fine," Rose said as she tossed her yogurt into the waste bin. She wasn't able to resist calling over her shoulder, "Mister Spock you have the con."


	12. The Gorgon's Circle: The Talisman

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Twelve: The Talisman

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: I want to give credit to the person who suggested Mister Spock! Cracka-Lacking thanks for the fun suggestion. Huge thanks to everyone who voted and I'm glad that I was able to find a fun way to put it into the story. It is now time for Rose to start car shopping! Any suggestions? I swear I'm not going to keep doing polls, but for these fun little details that don't need to be planned in advance it is kind of fun.

Rose was sipping a glass of wine as she listened to Barbara recount her meeting with Emperor Nero and proudly display the bracelet the mad emperor has given her. The odd trio had retired to the sitting room after dinner. It was nearing the end of November and the whole of Cambridge was rushing towards the end of the first term of the year. Rose was personally looking forward to having time back in London with her mum and friends. Despite phone calls, she often missed Sharon and Shireen desperately. Friends were hard to make when you had huge secrets like working with aliens or even stranger dating one.

Rose had met Johnny Chesterton during her last visit with the Chestertons and already had plans to meet him for lunch when she returned to London. He was a nice man in his late thirties and worked as a computer specialist in London. Frankly Rose thought he liked talking to her because it verified that his parents really were sane. As a student of computer science she enjoyed Johnny's company and honestly hoped that he might be able to help her with some design issues for Mister Spock's new interface.

"Rose," Barbara called. "Are you still with us dear?"

"Yes," Rose replied with a sheepish smile. "Sorry." She looked at Ian, "Hey what was that special meeting for on Friday with the professors?"

"Oh the Mauvais Loup project had a representative at Cambridge. They funded a large part of Gordon's work and were at the school to determine if those funds need to be paid back since he died."

"Mauvais Loup project?" Rose asked as her translator kicked in and translated the words as: Bad Wolf. "Really they funded his work?" 

"They put a lot of money on his project in advance after he released his first 'inventions'. Needless to say Gordon used all the money to build that damn machine, but Cambridge has no records for what it was used for." 

"They simply wanted to inform all the professors that a funds review is going to take place," Barbara added. "Nothing for students to worry about. Frankly they have already concluded that Gordon simply embezzled the money since UNIT removed all the evidence of his work."

"I see," Rose said taking another sip of wine. "I suppose he did sort of embezzle it since he built a machine that could destroy the Earth without any kind of approval or oversight."

There was an awkward silence as Rose set her glass down and thought about the information. She was far more interested in the reappearance of the words 'Bad Wolf' in connection to one of her adventures. Three days ago, the Tervtians ship had launched with Rose in attendance. To her surprise, when she had arrived at the old UNIT headquarters, the ship's name had been repainted on the repaired hull. She wasn't certain what its actual name was, but her translator identified the words as 'Bad Wolf'.

And now Ian and Barbara had informed her of yet another Bad Wolf connection. Rose knew that Bad Wolf didn't mean anything negative for her since the letter to the Doctor from his future-self had used it as some kind of message. It was still an odd feeling to know that you were being followed by a pair of words, Rose certainly didn't understand it. Perhaps, it was the part of her that worried about knowing her own future and acknowledged that she was in over her head. Day to day aliens she could handle, monster of the week no problem, but 'Bad Wolf' seemed to signify something much larger and more important. In the end, Rose reminded herself that she was only eighteen years old, a student and yet romantically involved with a Time Lord and had met two Guardians of Time and Space. Her life just didn't seem to make sense on any normal human level.

"The Tervtians left three days ago didn't they?" Barbara asked suddenly, breaking into Rose's thoughts. "Ian said you left class in a rush."

"Yeah," Rose said straightening up. "Etiger and his crew really wanted to say goodbye to me before they left. UNIT has deemed the project a success and Malcolm is already starting plans for a new space ship based on the Tervtian design."

Ian chuckled and shifted in his chair, accidentally hitting the remote to the Chesterton's entertainment center. The radio switched on Rose heard the announcer say, "And that was Wolves from Josh Ritter and coming up next I See Stars from Big Bad Wolf."

Rose's eyes widened for a moment before she shook her head and sighed.

"Sorry about that," Ian said before looking back at Rose. "Are you sure you are alright?"

"I'm fine," Rose tried to assure Ian and Barbara. "I suppose that I am just tired."

"Then we should let you go home," Barbara said with a gentle smile. "It is getting late and you have class tomorrow."

"Indeed," Ian said as he stood up. "I know you've turned in most of your work, but you look like some extra sleep wouldn't be a bad idea." 

"You are probably right," Rose said as she accepted her leather jacket from Ian. "Thank you for the lovely evening. I'll see you in class tomorrow professor."

"Drive safe," Barbara said as she cast a critical eye at Rose's motorcycle waiting outside. "I thought you said you were getting a car?"

"I am Barbara," Rose promised. "I'll be shopping in London during break. I'm not sure what I'm looking for yet." Rose grinned, "And I'm not getting rid of my motorcycle."

"I wish you would," Barbara sighed as she turned her eyes to Ian. "Of course, Ian would try to buy it from you."

"Motorcycles are fun," Rose replied with a shrug and a smile before she hugged Barbara. "Have a great week just in case I don't have a chance to talk with you."

"You as well dear," Barbara said. "And do stay out of trouble."

"I make no promise," Rose said. "After all trouble finds me," Rose argued before she stepped out into the November air. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Rose," Ian called with Barbara.

Smiling, Rose opened the storage box of her motorcycle and put on her helmet. She gave one last wave to the Chestertons before she started her bike and headed for her flat. It was dark when Rose entered her flat. Mister Spock greeted her from the work table, but Rose only managed a soft hello before going into her bedroom. Deciding to take Ian and Barbara's advice, Rose changed into an old shirt and shorts before climbing into bed.

Two hours later, Rose was still awake and listening to the sound of a storm rolling in. Sighing, she looked over at the clock and groaned when she saw that it was midnight. She gave up on sleeping and pulled some jeans and a hoodie on. Rose walked to the window and looked out at the dark sky as thunder rolled across the sky. Smiling, Rose pulled on her shoes and switched on the living room light.

"Rose?" Mister Spock asked, "What are you doing?" 

"Calm down," Rose said as she grabbed her keys and mobile. "I'm just going out for a while."

"According to the weather report and my camera there is currently a thunderstorm outside."

"I know," Rose replied with a smile. "Don't wait up."

"I do not sleep Rose as you well know."

"Fine," Rose said with a heavy sigh and a slight smile. "Fine Mister Spock. I'll be back later." She pulled on a rain coat and waved over to the computer interface before stepping out the door.

The streets were quiet as Rose stepped outside into the rain. The city of Cambridge was far slower in the early hours of a Monday than the London that Rose had grown up in and she took a moment to enjoy the stillness. Another crash of thunder rolled through the city as the large droplets of water hit the hood of her rain coat. After a moment, Rose pulled the hood down and tilted her head up into the rain. She stood there for a long moment letting the water wash away her concerns about Bad Wolf and her mixed feelings about her future with the Doctor. At that moment all there was to Rose was the sound of the rain, the thunder and the flashes of lightning.

She began walking a familiar route around the botanical gardens. A few cars passed her over the next half an hour, but the silence remained. Rose turned another corner and paused as movement down a side street caught her attention. Three figures were moving sharply near another figure and Rose realized with a start that someone was being attacked. Rushing forward, Rose shouted out to the attackers, hoping that they would simply run off and leave their victim for her to tend to. Instead the three figures turned towards Rose. A flash of thunder illuminated the space and Rose frowned at the ski masks that all three were wearing. Only the height, build and slight shape of a bosom revealed one of them to be a woman.

The tallest of them came at Rose first and she quickly reacted with a shoulder throw. Smirking slightly at the sound of the large man hitting the pavement behind her, Rose shifted her weight to meet the next attacked. The woman swung a pipe towards Rose which she quickly dodged. A split second later, Rose brought her knee up as the woman stumbled forward to catch her in the stomach. Allowing the woman to fall to the ground, Rose turned to the second man only to find him running off down the street. She looked back to the other two as they pulled themselves up. Rose considered going after them, but a groan of pain to her right made her change to her mind.

Kneeling down next to the figure, Rose pulled out her mobile and gasped as the light revealed an old woman bleeding badly from her head. Without any hesitation Rose called for an ambulance as she gently took the groaning woman's hand.

"You must get the talisman," the old woman gasped out a moment later.

"Please stay calm," Rose replied. "The ambulance will be here soon."

"Child you've seen many things," the woman told her with a painful smile. "I can tell these things about people and I need you to protect the talisman."

"What talisman?" Rose asked, hoping to calm the woman down.

"She must not get it," the woman groaned. "She must not get it." Rose tried to prevent the strange old woman from moving, but she moved her rain coat so she could reach the old and worn jacket she wore underneath. "Hurry child," the woman gasped. "Open the seams, hurry."

Despite her reservations, the tone of the woman's voice moved Rose to pull out her keys and use the sharp edge of her flat key to tear open the seam of the woman's long jacket. Some stuffing spilled out of it, followed by a strangely shaped amulet that fell into Rose's hand. It had a blue-greenish stone in the center with shaped designs around it that framed the stone like the petals of a flower. In the poor light, Rose could see that there were detailed designs on it, but she could not make them out. The bottom continued downward until it taped at a point with another small stone at the very bottom.

"What is this?" Rose asked softly. "Who are you?"

"You mustn't let her have it," the woman insisted. "Promise me."

"I promise," Rose whispered as she slid the talisman into her coat just as the ambulance arrived, quickly followed by two police cars.

A team of medics rushed over, quickly pushing Rose back from the old woman as they began to check her over. Taking a step back, Rose moved out of their way and walked over to the policeman that was observing her.

The police identified the woman to Rose as Bea Nelson-Stanley, a resident of a nearby building, and questioned if she had said anything about her attackers. Rose remained calm through the questions, explaining that she had been unable to sleep and had spotted the attackers. Due to the darkness and their masks she was unable to provide the police with descriptions, but gave them her contact information regardless in case any additional evidence was found. One of the police insisted on giving Rose a ride back to her flat, but it was still two in the morning when Rose arrived home.

"Rose?" Mister Spock questioned as Rose hung her wet coat up at the door and peeled off her damp socks. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Rose answered as she took out the strange talisman and sat on the sofa. It glowed a soft green as her finger brushed the large blue-greenish stone. "Oh that's not normal."

"Indeed not," Mister Spock replied. "Please bring it closer Rose; I believe that I can get a reading on it."

Rose set the talisman on the table directly in front of Mister Spock's interface and watched patiently as he began to scan the item. "I am afraid that this will take some time to identify. My sensors-"

"I know," Rose snapped. "I know! I'm working on it, but building a highly advanced computer-alien interface without attracting attention takes time." Groaning, Rose rubbed her forehead and said, "I'm sorry."

"It would appear that you are fatigued," Mister Spock replied in his even tone. "I suggest that you quickly relay to me how you came into possession of this item and then sleep. You have only five hours before you will have to wake up in order to attend all your classes. In that time I should be able to complete an analysis for you."

"Right," Rose said taking a breath. "I came across these people attacking an old woman. She was hurt pretty bad, but they ran away when I came in. Strangely they actually tried to fight me instead of running away when I arrived. I guess they wanted this. The old woman, her name was Bea Nelson-Stanley, was carrying it in the lining of her coat. She gave it to me and told me to keep it safe." Rose paused and frowned, "She kept saying that I must not let 'her' get it."

"I see," Mister Spock said. "I will run the analysis and a search for Bea Nelson-Stanley for you. There may be more clues as to the alien nature of this item in her history."

"Thank you Mister Spock," Rose said with a nod. "I'll see you in a few hours then."

Rose could have sworn that she had just closed her eyes when her alarm started beeping at her. Sighing, Rose rolled over and hit the alarm clock. She was very tempted to just curl back into bed, but then she remembered that Mister Spock might have some information for her. In order to be ready for class on time, Rose forced herself to shower and get dressed before walking out into the living room.

"Good morning Rose," Mister Spock greeted. "I trust that you managed to sleep."

"Not enough," Rose replied, "But yes I got some sleep." Rose walked into the kitchen area and started making herself some coffee and breakfast. "Anything to report?"

"Indeed," Mister Spock said. "Without context, I am afraid that my analysis has not yielded much. The talisman seems be designed to align the angle of ascension for a dimensional portal." 

"It controls a portal?" Rose repeated in surprise. "Any idea where this portal leads?"

"That I do not know," Mister Spock replied. "This talisman is only part of a portal generator. I am unable to determine where the target point of such a portal would be from the talisman alone. In addition, I cannot say absolutely that it would even be intended to open a portal from Earth."

"I wonder if Ian or Barbara have ever seen anything like it?" Rose said as she picked up the talisman gently. "Nothing else Mister Spock, no harmful radiation or anything like that?"

"No," Mister Spock replied with a tone of slight amusement.

"Shut up!" Rose returned with a smile, "That is a perfectly legitimate concern."

"What is your plan?" Mister Spock asked.

"Finish my breakfast, go to class like normal, not attract attention to myself and ask Ian and Barbara if they have ever seen anything like it." Rose examined the talisman again. "Someone is after this so I'm not going to let it out of my sight."

"A wise precaution," Mister Spock said. "Now eat your breakfast and I will tell you what I learned about Mrs. Bea Nelson-Stanley."

"Yes Mum," Rose muttered as she began to eat her breakfast.

"Bea Nelson-Stanley is the widow of archeologist Edgar Nelson-Stanley. They traveled the world together on numerous digs. Strangely, I have found many odd occurrences in this couple's history."

"Odd occurrences?" Rose asked.

"There is evidence to suggest that the Nelson-Stanleys may have encountered aliens. I have not found details of these events as they predate UNIT, but several local stories around their digs suggest extraterrestrial activity."

"So that's what she meant," Rose said to herself as she ate. "Anything else."

"Very little, her husband died four years ago and according to her medical history she is developing Alzheimer's disease. A third cousin once removed is trying to gain legal control over her and move her into a home. According to reports from her building, she often loses track of where she is and makes frequent mention of her husband as if he is still alive."

"That's so sad," Rose said as she put her empty bowl into the sink and looked at the clock. "Well, I'll be off to school. Maybe I can catch Ian or Barbara before their classes start."

Rose picked up her bag and slipped on her leather coat. Picking up the talisman, Rose headed out the door, locking it behind her. She was slipping the talisman into her bag when a strange tall man walked up to her in the hallway.

"Rose Tyler," he said with a smirk.

Rose released the talisman, letting it fall into her bag as she made a show of locking up and acting normal.

"I'm sorry," Rose said with a forced smile. "I don't think I know you. Are you a resident here? I thought I'd met everyone." 

"Give me the talisman in your bag." The man said, putting his hand against the wall and leaning over Rose. "It belongs to us."

"I highly doubt that," Rose replied calmly, moving around him towards the stairs, but the man grabbed her arm. Rose looked down at the hand that was holding her. An odd tattoo of a woman's head with snakes for hair was on his wrist.

"You don't want to be involved in this," he hissed. "Look at what happened to the old bag."

"She gave me the talisman," Rose said motioning to her bag. "Not you." She glanced over him, "Clearly you aren't one of the ones who attacked her last night." 

"Why do you say that?" the man asked in actual confusion. 

"Because you would know to watch out for this," Rose said before twisting her arm so she could grab his wrist. She quickly grabbed his wrist with her other hand and altered the position of them on his arm. A split second later he was twisted around and sent falling back against the floor. Rose turned away from him and rushed for the stairs, not wanting a fight in the corridor. Clearly the alien talisman Bea had given her was important and there were people ready to kill for it. She had promised that she'd keep it safe and that was what she would do.


	13. The Gorgon's Circle: The Gorgon Circle

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Thirteen: The Gorgon Circle

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Sorry for the slow update, for me at least. Some issues have come up that need to be dealt with at work so I'm pulling overtime at the office right now. Plus I'll be visiting family over the weekend so I don't plan on many updates this week. This episode is somewhat based on the Sarah Jane Adventures episode Eye of the Gorgon which wasn't bad, but I thought was one of the weakest episodes. As a fan of Greek Mythology I've changed a lot of things about the episode to make it more of what I wanted to see when I saw the title of that episode.

The reality of the situation sunk into Rose's mind as she rushed down the stairs of her building away from the attacker. Rose quickly checked over her shoulder and checked the talisman in her bag before she rushed into the flat car park. She didn't risk time taking out her helmet or putting her bag into the storage case. Instead Rose quickly swung onto her motorcycle. Rose pulled out into the light traffic and headed for the busy area of the university hoping to lose anyone who might be following her in the crowd of people her own age. Within a few minutes, Rose had parked in one of the lots near the university and headed into the foot traffic of students. Ducking into a coffee shop near King's College, Rose quickly bought a coffee and settled at a small table near the rear exit. She pulled out her phone and dialed the Chesterton's number. It went to the answering machine after a few rings.

"It's Rose," she said in a low voice. "I got a piece of alien technology last night and now I'm being pursued for it. Be careful and give me a call as soon as you get this."

She tried their office phones as well, but they were not in their offices. Their mobiles were both switched off already for a day of classes. Repressing a groan, Rose looked around the coffee shop to check for trouble before she pulled out her laptop. Logging onto the café's internet, Rose accessed the UNIT website. There was a back door built into the website for those associated with UNIT to access information if needed. It took Rose only a moment to enter her password 'Star Knight' and enter the UNIT database. Under the terms of her civilian consultant status, Rose had level two clearance which gave her access to almost anything.

UNIT's main system drew on all the police organization files from around the globe so Rose was hoping to find some information about her attacker. Pausing at the search screen, Rose considered what to search for before she typed in 'medusa tattoo.' The tattoo had been very distinct, highly stylized and something that would be recorded as a distinguishing mark. Rose sipped her coffee and checked the café again while the system searched with no luck.

Rose opened another internet browser tab so she could run another search through public search engines. She typed in Medusa, having enough familiarity with Greek mythology to recognize the character. Mostly because Mickey had a weakness for classic B movies like Clash of the Titans that Rose, Sharon and Shireen all pretended not to enjoy whenever it was his turn to pick the movie. Rose was certain that Medusa was the name of the character, but that there was a species name. She just couldn't remember it at the moment. After another check of the room, Rose clicked on the first result from Wikipedia. Quickly, she read through the article noting the term gorgon. The mythology was fairly basic: a monstrous woman with snakes for hair and a gaze that turned humans into stone. Rose only skimmed this information before she returned to the UNIT files and entered 'gorgon tattoo' in the search field.

To Rose's slight surprise, a file appeared that was labeled 'The Gorgon Circle' from Interpol. Again Rose checked the room before she started reading. The file was large with numerous dates of major thefts and murders. Frowning, Rose read the file summary on the history of the group. The group was a long time underground art theft group that Interpol had been tracking for many years. Members were all marked with the head of a gorgon on some part of their bodies, often their wrists or upper arms. According to the file, the group would often enter homes with art collections and murder the families before taking a few pieces. Strangely, the Gorgon Circle would rarely take the most valuable pieces and often left behind many pieces of art. The Interpol file mentioned a long series of thefts of ancient Greek artwork and occasionally ancient Roman artwork. Six months ago, there were rumors that some agents of the Gorgon Circle had entered England. Interpol had no additional information beyond this point since at that point there had been no major thefts.

Rose puttered around in the files trying to find any other clues, but none of the members of the Gorgon Circle that had even been captured had talked about the organization. Those who investigated it often vanished and little solid evidence had ever been found to link them directly to murders and thefts. While she couldn't be certain that this was the same group that had come after her and attacked the old woman, Rose wasn't ready to rule them out yet. Surely a tattoo of a mythological creature wasn't that rare in the world. Still a group with a history of going after ancient artifacts attacking a woman who had been married to an archeologist wasn't too far from their normal operations. The circumstantial evidence was certainly enough that Rose knew she had to be cautious. However, it bothered her that this supposed great organization of art thieves did something like attack an old woman near her home or attack Rose in a building with CCTV. Such moves were sloppy or perhaps they were acts of desperation. Maybe they had simply been

overconfident against her or sent the lowest level operatives.

Leaving the Interpol files, Rose turned her attention back to UNIT which did not even have a file on the group. Their interest in the talisman that she knew to be alien concerned her. Accessing UNIT's messaging system; Rose sent a quick message to Toshiko, Malcolm, the General and Colonel Benton explaining the situation as she knew it. Rose stressed that there was no active threat, but any information UNIT could provide would be helpful. After sending off the message, Rose checked the local news to find out which hospital Bea Nelson-Stanley had been taken to. According to the news report, the old woman was in stable condition and no suspects had been apprehended.

Rose was packing up her laptop just as her phone started to ring. Pulling it out, Rose smiled in relief at Barbara's name flashing on the screen. She finished packing her bag, checked the talisman and swung it back over her shoulder.

"Hello Barbara," Rose said pleasantly as she stepped out of the coffee shop.

"Rose Marion Tyler," Barbara Chesterton said in a dangerous tone. "Do not frighten me with a message like that ever again young lady."

"I'm sorry," Rose said sincerely and quickly, hoping to prevent Barbara's temper from rising to a dangerous level. "I've found some information about the group that might be coming after the artifact. If they are who I think then they are dangerous." 

"Where are you?" Barbara asked after taking a deep breath.

"Near the college," Rose replied quickly. "Are you done with class?" 

"Yes, come up to my office. I'll call Ian to meet you there."

"I'll be there soon," Rose promised.

"Be careful, don't go looking for trouble." 

"I can't promise that," Rose said as she headed for Barbara's office. "Trouble has it out for me."

She hung up the phone and quickly moved across the open space of the campus as other students moved around on their way to class or just talking with their friends. Barbara's office was the second floor of a building Rose had only ever been inside once. She wasn't a student of history and therefore rarely had any reason to be in this particular building. Still Rose knew where Barbara's office was and headed straight for it.

The older dark haired woman was waiting for Rose and sitting calmly at her desk, clearly more relaxed than she had been just a few minutes ago. Rose could only assume that she had spoken with Ian and he was on his way as well. Barbara stood and hugged Rose tightly before taking a step back and looking sternly at her.

"Honestly, didn't you just finish dealing with an alien crash? Handling extraterrestrial activity is not something you should be doing every other week."

"The crash was more like three weeks ago," Rose reminded Barbara only to receive a dark look, "But I understand what you mean. I'll try to stay out of trouble."

Ian walked in a moment later and locked the door behind him. With three people in the office, the small space was rather crowded, but it felt less exposed to Rose than the coffee shop. Barbara and Ian both sat down while Rose dug the talisman out of her bag before she took the last seat in front of Barbara's desk.

"Tell us everything," Ian said as he took the talisman from Rose's hand.

Nodding, Rose took a breath before she launched into her explanation about finding the old woman Bea Nelson-Stanley being attacked. She recounted the woman's strange words when she gave Rose the talisman before the ambulance arrived. Rose also informed them of Mister Spock's report, during which Ian wasn't able to repress his snort as he still found the name hilarious. A disapproving look from Barbara made him quiet down, but Rose had managed a smile. She told them about the attack on her this morning and the information on the Gorgon Circle she had found.

"You've told UNIT then," Ian confirmed with a worried look.

"Yes," Rose said. "I sent a message to the General and the Colonel about what I knew. UNIT can't act unless there is evidence of a threat so hopefully Tosh is working on getting more information."

"You don't know?" Barbara asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I can't order UNIT to do anything," Rose defended. "The moment I have more information I'll call them, but bringing soldiers in might cause even more problems at this stage." 

"Alright," Barbara conceded with a nod. "So what is next?"

"I want to talk with Bea Nelson-Stanley," Rose said. "Since I'm the one who saved her last night, it shouldn't stand out as strange." Rose paused, "But just in case they are watching the hospital I don't want to take the talisman."

"So you want us to take care of it," Ian confirmed as he looked down at the talisman in his hand. Glancing over at Barbara, Ian nodded and handed her the talisman. "Just be careful. If Mister Spock is right and this thing can open a portal this may be very dangerous, especially if it is the Gorgon Circle after it."

"I'll be careful," Rose promised gently, knowing how much the two former companions of the Doctor worried. "You know me, I may get into trouble, but I'm pretty good at getting out of it."

Barbara and Ian glanced at each other and then Ian turned back to Rose, "Just be careful. I have only one more class and then I'll take the talisman to our home." 

"Meet us there when you are finished," Barbara said. "I will also go home once I am finished for the day."

"Okay," Rose said as she stood up and collected her things. "Sounds like a plan."

Barbara and Ian both gave Rose quick hugs for luck and she could see that both of them were extremely worried. As Rose walked back to her motorcycle, she thought about the danger and stress that she had brought back into their lives. While she never got the impression that either of the Chestertons actually resented her for bringing them back into the world of aliens, strange events and personal danger, Rose did wonder if they regretted it.

Addenbrooke's Hospital wasn't too far on her motorcycle. Of course having grown up in the London, distances all seemed much shorter to her in Cambridge. It was a standard hospital and nothing seemed out of place which helped Rose relax slightly. Rose's name had not been released to the media following the incident against Bea Nelson-Stanley so the nurse was a bit suspicious of letting Rose in to see the woman. Apparently it had been a slow news day and reporters had been trying to get in and see the old woman who was attacked. Finally the nurse vanished into the private room they had moved Bea into after her surgery to keep her away from reporters. Rose hoped that the old woman would remember Rose's description because she really didn't want to use any explanation beyond she was the rescuer and wanted to check on her. It took a few more minutes, but Rose was finally allowed into the room.

Bea Nelson-Stanley was propped up on her bed against her pillows. Her old worn face had a soft smile on it and she gestured for Rose to come closer.

"Hello Mrs. Nelson-Stanley," Rose greeted pleasantly.

"Hello my dear, Rose Tyler is it?"

"Yes ma'am," Rose said as she walked up to the bed.

Bea gave the nurse a pointed look. They nodded and left the room, shutting the door behind them. Bea's expression changed in an instant to deep worry and fear as she grabbed Rose's arm with a surprising grip for an old woman that had nearly died in an alley less than a day ago.

"The talisman, is it safe?"

"I was attacked this morning," Rose said. "So I put the talisman in the care of someone I trust. I needed to talk with you about it and didn't want to bring it in case they were here. I know what it does, it opens a portal, but how did you get it?" 

"How do you?" Bea started to ask in confusion, "Never mind. It doesn't matter how you figured that out." The woman paused with a sad look. "My husband, Edgar unearthed it in Syria and gave it to me. He had no idea what it was. They must not find it," Bea said.

"The Gorgon Circle?" Rose asked only to see Bea flinch.

"Yes, they serve and protect her," Bea said with a deep frown and a look of great concentration.

"Who Bea," Rose asked. "Who do they protect?" 

"I've been hiding it for so long," the old woman muttered vaguely. "I don't know how they found out that I still had it. I should have thrown it away years ago, silly old woman. Edgar and I stopped the other one, but I always knew that the last one would be looking for it. Edgar saved me with the talisman you see. When I was stone he put it around my neck and saved me."

"Bea," Rose called trying to ignore the strange ramblings. "Who does the Gorgon Circle work for? What was the other one?"

The old woman gave Rose a look of great confusion, but managed to say, "The gorgon of course." 

"A gorgon," Rose repeated, "You're saying that there is a real gorgon on Earth."

That was when she lost Bea to her developing Alzheimer's disease. The old woman turned her confused eyes on Rose and blinked, "Who are you young lady? Oh where am I? Where is Edgar?"

As the old woman started shouting for her husband, Rose quickly hit the button to the call the nurse who dashed into the room a moment later.

"Oh dear," the nurse said as she moved over to the old woman. "I'm afraid that she has Alzheimer's disease. We'll need to calm her down, you should go."

"What is going to happen to her?" Rose asked the nurse as she walked for the door.

"A relative is taking over her affairs," the nurse said absent mindedly. "Probably be in a home once she is recovered."

"I see," Rose said. "Uh thank you."

Rose was in a bit of a daze as she headed for the exit. Everything about this situation seemed so surreal, even by her standards. The only person who knew anything about what was happening was suffering from the settling in of Alzheimer's. Surely the gorgon she referred to was the name of the organization's leader, but why would an organization like that be after the talisman? Rose supposed it was valuable if a buyer could be found for something like that. Or could the gorgon be a real gorgon like in Greek mythology.

Rose stopped suddenly as she turned over everything Bea had said. She had said something about when she was stone, but was that real or her starting to fade into her Alzheimer's? If it was a real gorgon was it like in mythology? What need would it have for ancient art and where did the talisman fit in? Shaking her head, Rose looked at her watch. The hospital had taken much longer than she planned and the Chestertons would be finished with their morning classes.

As Rose was heading for the door, she heard one of the staff saying, "For the last time Miss Smith you cannot speak with Mrs. Nelson-Stanley. She needs rest, not journalists asking her questions."

"But that young lady just left her room. Surely a few minutes would not cause any harm."

"That young lady is the one who saved her last night, not a journalist. As you can see, she is leaving and we would appreciate if you would do the same."

Shaking her head, Rose reached the stairs and headed out of the hospital. Her next stop was the Chestertons. The drive to the Chesterton's home was uneventful as the afternoon traffic was light. However, Rose frowned as the house came into sight. Ian's car was missing from the front of the house when he should have been home first. All the curtains were drawn, preventing Rose from seeing inside the house. Rose decided to park further away just in case and slowly crept up to the house. Everything in the neighborhood was quiet and still. Twisting the doorknob, Rose had a sick feeling as the door opened. Barbara always locked the door when they were home, even in the middle of the day.

Stepping into the house, Rose waited for a moment and listened, but there was no movement in the house. Rose left the door alone, not wanting to make additional noise if there was someone waiting for her. Walking forward, Rose looked into the living room and froze. Standing in the middle of the room was Ian, but he had been turned to stone.


	14. The Gorgon's Circle: Highrock House

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Fourteen: Highrock House

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Well look at this, I managed to get another chapter up this week! I wrote this over four days, stealing a few minutes here and there after my family went to sleep or were getting up first thing in the morning.

Rose stared at the statue for a long moment in pure shock before she shouted for Barbara. As she expected the call was meant with silence. Taking a slow step forward, Rose approached the statue and examined it. The sinking feeling intensified as she noted the horrified features on Ian's face and his stance of moving away from whatever was in front of him. Turning away from Ian, Rose thought about Bea's words about the amulet restoring her. Surely if the gorgon had been here and turned Ian to stone, the Circle had found it. A laugh that was closer to a sob escaped Rose as she entered the kitchen to search for Barbara. The rear door of the house was slightly open as it hadn't been latched properly. There were signs of struggle with a jar of biscuits and two teacups having been knocked to the floor.

Stepping over the mess, Rose closed the door and looked it before turning back to the room. Sighing as she noted Barbara's purse on the counter, Rose noted that Barbara must have only just gotten back home before the attack. Refusing to give up just yet, Rose quickly checked the rest of the house for anything unusual. However, it appeared that the Gorgon Circle must have found what they were looking for on the ground floor. While Rose did not go upstairs often, she knew the Chestertons well enough to know that things were in their proper places.

Returning to the living room, Rose sat down on the sofa in front of Ian as she once again pulled out her phone. The TARDIS was number one on Rose's speed dial and without another moment's hesitation she pressed the button and lifted the phone to her ear. The phone rang and rang for what seemed to be an eternity before the answering service beeped on without a message.

Rose's eyes closed so she didn't have to keep looking at Ian's frozen form and Rose softly said, "Doctor, it's Rose. Something very bad is going on; it seems to be a gorgon. Ian has been turned to stone and the talisman that can restore him is missing. Come to Earth." Rose gave him the date and then hung up the phone. It had never occurred to her that the Doctor might not have the phone with him. Rose actually smiled a bit as she thought about where he might be and what he might be doing.

Unsure of what else to do, Rose leaned forward on her knee to think about the little she knew. The Gorgon Circle had found the talisman with ease so they may have been following her. Of course Bea had talked about holding the talisman for years without them finding it, maybe something that changed and they could track it. That thought filled Rose with guilt as she glanced back up at Ian, but then her frown deepened. There were signs that Barbara had been in the house, so why wasn't she a statue like Ian. Rose frowned, if they had taken the talisman then why bother with a hostage, unless they needed her for something else.

She didn't have a plan for how to find Barbara and the talisman to save Ian until she stepped back outside, locking the door behind her. Then her eyes landed on the first strange things she had noticed or rather noticed the lack of. Ian's car was not in the front drive. Moving quickly, Rose walked over to the small garage tucked back at the end of the drive at the side of the house. Ian rarely parked inside as Barbara preferred having the garage for her car, but it was still possible that he had parked inside it today.

Pulling open the door to the small building, Rose grinned at the sight of Barbara's car despite herself. While it verified that Barbara had not escaped the house when it was attacked, it also verified that Ian's car was still missing. Since Barbara had not called Rose to tell her about the attack on the Chesterton home, Rose could only assume that Barbara had not taken the car. Instead, perhaps the attackers had found themselves in need of another vehicle. The plan quickly formed in Rose's mind and she rushed back to her motorcycle. Heading for her flat, Rose made a silent wish that the attackers would have left it alone since they knew she'd had the talisman.

Whatever forces controlled fate, coincidence or serendipity seemed to be on Rose's side, for today at least. She unlocked the door to find everything normal in her flat. Apparently, her attackers hadn't bothered sacking her home since they knew she had the talisman on her. Rose set her computer bag on the sofa. 

"Mister Spock, I need you."

"What is the matter Rose, your tone indicate-"

"Not now," Rose said as she walked over to the machine. "I need you to find Ian's license plate number for me."

"His license plate number?" Mister Spock repeated. "I trust that you cannot simply call him." 

"He's a statue," Rose said as she tapped her foot impatiently. "Find his information and then hack into CCTV and see if you can locate the car."

"Very well," Mister Spock replied. "I warn you this may take some time." 

"I understand," Rose said. "But anything you can tell me about what route that car may have taken will help."

While Mister Spock set to work on that, Rose pulled out the familiar small black travel bag she used for her adventures from her closet. Opening the top flap, Rose double checked the bag. While it was small, she added to it whenever she had an idea for it. Inside the simple black bag were her lock picks, a small roll of duct tape, a few gauze bandages, a multi-tool, a torch and a few snack bars. Combine that with her sword and the biodamper Rose still wore around her neck, and she felt ready for anything. Well almost anything, as she fingered the old protective pendant around her neck that hung with her TARDIS key. Rose wished it still worked and could be set to protect her from a gorgon's power. Shaking the thought away, Rose tucked the chain of alien technology back under her shirt.

While Mister Spock searched the cameras of Cambridge for Ian's car, Rose pulled out her laptop and started a new search for the gorgon. This time she made a point of reading the entire myth of how Perseus used a mirror to defeat the gorgon as the reflection did not have the same effect as seeing the gorgon straight on. Then he cut off the head, which still retained the power to turn people to stone. Setting the laptop to the side, Rose entered her toilet and pulled open one of the drawers. She dug through the miscellaneous hair ties, nail polishes and makeup articles until she found a simple compact mirror buried at the back. Jackie had given it to Rose for her purse, but she rarely bothered to carry one and had a small powder compact in her normal school bag. Pulling her long dark gold hair back into a quick ponytail, Rose took a deep breath and grabbed the compact. She added it to her bag just before Mister Spock called her over.

"I have managed to track the route the car took through the cameras," Mister Spock said. "Based on the route of the car and the absence of further photographs along the route, I estimate the car to be in this area." A map of roughly five miles beyond Cambridge came up and Mister Spock created a red sphere on it. "There are few buildings in this area as much of it is connected to an old estate." Mister Spock paused, "Incidentally, the Highrock House was rented out six months ago."

"That's it," Rose said with a grin. "Print directions." 

Rose pulled out her phone while Mister Spock sent the information to her computer. Hitting the speed dial for Malcolm, Rose paced while the phone rang until Malcolm picked it up. 

"Hello Rose," Malcolm greeted brightly. "Any more information about-"

"Yes," Rose said quickly cutting him off. "Now listen carefully. According to the woman who gave me the amulet we are up against a gorgon. Ian Chesterton has been turned to stone. They have the talisman and I think we should assume that they know how to use it."

"Do you know where they are?" Malcolm asked his voice very serious now.

"Yes," Rose grabbed the direction and address so she could read them off to Malcolm.

"Alright Rose," Malcolm said after a moment. "I've sent Private Jenkins to tell the Colonel. I'm guessing that we'll meet you there."

"Yes," Rose replied. "I'm heading out. Please don't take too long."

"UNIT will be there as soon as we can," Malcolm promised.

"See you soon," Rose said before hanging up. She pulled her leather jacket back on and swung the black shoulder bag on. "Mister Spock," Rose said. "Wish me luck."

"Rose, you are aware that the notion of luck-"

"Yeah," Rose sighed shaking her head as she grabbed her keys. "Never mind. I'll probably be home late."

The speed limit meant nothing to Rose as she rushed on her way towards Highrock House. On her motorcycle she wove between the cars of traffic in a fashion that she had never tried and frankly did not wish to do again. As she left the city of Cambridge behind her and entered an open area with only an occasional suburb construction she could see on the horizon a large castle-like manor house. The closer she came to the large house, the fewer buildings there were around it until Rose finally pulled on the private drive that led up to the house. The area was surrounded by trees and a high fence that joined at a massive gate.

However, the house itself wasn't too far back from the main gate and after a moment of consideration Rose pulled off of the drive and parked her bike behind some trees. Entering unnoticed was her safest option and she could see Ian's car parked in front of the large house along with three others. Leaving her helmet out for quick access, Rose removed her shoulder bag from the storage case and headed back to the drive.

Glancing around, Rose noticed the lack of security cameras and that the gate was secured with a large padlock. She pulled out her shoulder bag from the rear of the motorcycle and set to work on the padlock. It clicked open a moment later and Rose eased the gate open slowly, in case there were any traps or alarms attached. Nothing happened so she eased the gate open enough to slip through. Rose carefully closed the large gate, but left it unlocked and hoped that no one would notice.

Highrock House was a large and imposing manor, built out of stone with a gothic feel to the high arches and dark shade of the stone. Only some ivy was growing on it, granting it very little colour and Rose had a dislike of the place as she approached. As much as she wanted to check Ian's car at the front of the house, Rose decided to keep moving along the fence until she came to the corner of the house. While she had no doubts that this was the Gorgon Circle headquarters in England, she had no desire to be caught this quickly. Creeping forward, Rose reached the main house and started glancing into the windows of the place. Most were heavy old fashioned glass that was hard to see anything through, but Rose soon found a section of the house under some kind of restoration or construction with newer windows. Smirking, Rose found one that had not been latched from the inside and using her multi-tool, carefully pried the window open. She gave a quick glance around and looked into the room before she jumped up to slide into the house.

She had entered into a sitting room with the furniture covered by thick sheets to protect it. Scaffolding was set up along the east wall to repair damage to the ceiling which must have been stunning given what remained of the molding. Rose had to struggle to hold in a sneeze, because the dust suggested that the owner of the house had started to restore it, but had stopped. Perhaps the money ran out, which would also explain it being rented out to the Gorgon Circle. Rose pushed away such thoughts as she pulled out her small torch and headed for the door. The hallway was long and dark due to all the doors being closed and many of the windows being covered with thick curtains. Rose crept forward in the hall towards the low hum of voices in the distance. She stopped for a moment and pulled out the small mirror as she came to a corner. Carefully, she looked around the corner and found the hallway empty. More construction equipment blocked a hallway in front of her so Rose carefully took the stairs up to the next floor. They creaked horribly under her feet and she flinched at the inability to be quiet.

The upstairs of the wing was in worse condition and Rose noted signs of a fire which explained the state of the place. However, she navigated her way forward and was hearing the voices even stronger now coming from in front of her. She now noticed a rhythm to the voices, almost like a chant, but it was still too muffled for her to make out what was being said. Rose was past the last of the sealed rooms and was in the main wing of the house. The halls were lit and she was able to slip her torch back into her bag. Shifting the mirror to her left hand, Rose remained ready to call forth her sword with her right. Yet, there were no guards posted in the house as she crept closer to the chanting. Suddenly, the hall opened onto a large room that looked down into the main entry. An odd green light was rising from the center of the room. Rose crept up to the rails and looked down.

A strange circle of statues and artifacts were fit together like a puzzle in the center of the room. The circle was small, only about the space of five humans holding hands, but in the center was a cauldron with green smoke and light rising from it. Rose was confused by what she was seeing so she turned her attention to the humans surrounding the circle.

"Serve the Gorgon," was their chant, over and over with a steady rhythm.

Carefully, Rose moved around the overlook so she could get a different view. The cauldron was built from ancient pieces of vases and other artifacts that had been stolen over the years giving it a strange mixed look. Then she spotted the talisman, nestled in a stone slot that fit it perfectly. Frowning, Rose noted the glowing blue-green stones on the talisman and the similar color of the smoke. She moved again and bit back a gasp as she saw a tall female being sitting on an ornate throne beyond the ring of humans. The figure was dressed in form fitting black, had a beautiful face from what Rose could see, but wore heavy mirrored sunglasses. A slight hissing could be heard underneath the elaborate turban she wore. This woman was the gorgon, the head of the Gorgon Circle.

One of the humans, an older man with sandy brown hair, suddenly stopped chanting and turned to the gorgon, bowing deeply. "The angle of alignment is at fifty percent Mistress."

"Excellent," the gorgon said with a slight hiss in her voice. "Bring in the human, I wish to speak with it."

"As you command," the man replied, still bowing. Two more of the humans forming the ring turned and bowed before leaving the room.

Rose waited, holding her breath as she watched the gorgon moved around the circle. The creature looked over her chanting human minions before stepping forward and gently touching the glowing amulet. Rose had to focus to hear the gorgon's soft words, "So many years spent to rebuild the gateway only to lose the key. Bea Nelson-Stanley will pay for the death of my sister once the gorgons are free on Earth." The gorgon gently touched the talisman, "the key to our future."

The gorgon straightened up with a hiss as the door opened once again. Rose's mouth dropped open in shock and fear as Barbara was dragged into the room by two of the human minions and shoved to her knees. She was bound at the hands, blindfolded and gagged. The gorgon smirked and stepped forward to remove Barbara's blindfold. Barbara merely glared up at her until the gorgon removed her gag.

"So you're the gorgon?" Barbara asked as she glanced over the creature. "I'm a bit surprised that mirrored sunglasses do the trick." 

"They are a touch more complex than simply being mirrored," the gorgon replied calmly. "But it is worth it to be finally able to have humans do my bidding."

"Yes I imagine that never being able to lay eyes on them made using them for forced labor difficult."

"You are not frightened of me," the gorgon said with amusement. "Not really, I find that interesting."

"What are you planning to do with me?" Barbara asked calmly.

The gorgon examined her for a moment before turning with a flourish to the glowing structure behind her. "This portal will allow my people to finally come to Earth. Three of us traveled here thousands of years ago, but today I am the only one and I shall complete the glorious mission. You Barbara Chesterton carry a slight hint of temporal energy, enough that it has altered your aging." At Barbara's surprised look, the Gorgon laughed, "Oh I am very aware of the Doctor. I have been working quietly for thousands of years so I know of him. When the portal opens, my queen will come into Earth and she will need a host."

"A host?" Barbara gasped looking at the gorgon, "But."

"I claimed this body over two hundred years ago in France," the Gorgon said dismissively. "Our natural forms fail, but we found a way to move into humanoid bodies and alter them to our own form. It takes some time and utterly destroys the host, but it has allowed me to remain alive for thousands of years."

"And you'll destroy me to give a body to your queen?"

"Indeed, the energy that slowed your aging will allow the Queen to last even longer in that body."

"What about Ian?" Barbara demanded, "You turned him to stone."

"The gorgons use female forms," the gorgon said calmly as she shrugged elegantly. "Your men will be only useful for breeding new hosts and your Ian was past that age."

Rose glanced back at the talisman, they had said it was fifty percent complete, but that did not tell her how long she had. Given that they had brought Barbara into the room, Rose could only assume that it was close. She was trying to sort out a plan when a woman was drug into the room by one of the male minions.

The woman they threw down next to Barbara was middle-aged with brown hair cut at her shoulders wearing a purple trench coat that Rose knew she had seen before. It took Rose a moment to place the woman as one of the residents of Bannerman Road. Rose had only met Sarah Jane Smith once, very briefly when she and Jackie had introduced themselves to the neighbors. According to Gita Chandra, Sarah Jane was a nice woman, but very anti-social and lived for her work. Rose sighed softly as she took in the situation below. She should have recognized Sarah Jane at the hospital, but she hadn't and now the journalist was in way over her head.

Then suddenly as the human minions were moving to bind Sarah Jane like they had Barbara, Sarah Jane managed to leap to her feet and kick one the male minions in his nether regions. He collapsed backwards and Sarah Jane rushed out of the room down into the wing under construction. Angrily, the gorgon stood from her throne and shouted, "After her."

The room cleared of minions in a moment as they rushed after the fleeing woman. Staring after them for a moment, the Gorgon hissed and reached up to unwrap her turban. Rose's eyes widened as the snakes came into view. There were many different sizes, all curling around each other and hissing violently. At Barbara's gasp, the gorgon smirked and said, "Don't worry, I'll be right back." She breezed out of the room to follow her minions.

Rose took advantage of the situation and carefully swung over the railing. Lowering herself down, Rose took a breath before she let go of the railing. The drop was still long and her knees protested as Rose landed on her feet. She was shaky for a moment, but rushed for Barbara.

"Rose," Barbara gasped as the girl rushed up to her.

"Stay still," Rose hissed softly as she called forth her sword and cut the ropes.

"Rose, she's going to-"

"I know," Rose said as she finished freeing Barbara, "I heard." Rose turned to the strange machine built from ancient artifacts. She wished there was time to examine it, but instead she went straight for the talisman and pried it from the mold it was in. The strange machine shuddered before the green glow vanished and the humming stopped. "Okay, I think that did it," Rose said with a smile before she grabbed Barbara's hand. "Run!"

They rushed towards the main door of the manor, the opposite direction that Sarah Jane had taken. Only two guards stood between them and doors, both of whom Rose quickly took down with a few well-placed kicks. Still neither Rose nor Barbara stopped to catch their breaths. Rose ran straight for Ian's car and ripped open the panel under the starter.

"What are you doing?" Barbara asked in shock.

"No keys," Rose replied as she snatched up the wires she needed. "Have to get it going somehow. You'd be amazed at the things UNIT teaches their agents."

As the engine jumped to life, Rose grinned and jumped out the car's front seat. She pulled the talisman for her pocket and handed it to Barbara, "I think if you put this around Ian's neck it will restore him. Bea said that she had been turned to stone and it saved her. UNIT is on their way here. We have to keep this away from the gorgon until they arrive."

"What about you?" Barbara asked with a fearful glance back at the house. 

"I can't leave Sarah Jane," Rose said. "And the gorgon might have a backup plan. Please Barbara, save Ian and keep the talisman away from here. I'll stay here and do what I can."

Barbara nodded slowly and took the talisman before she climbed in the car. Rose waited for a moment while Barbara sped the car away from the manor house and through the now open gate. Rose glanced around and noticed the small pale green car parked in the middle of the drive and shook her head. Sarah Jane Smith certainly made her presence known. A large crash and scream from inside the house made Rose turn sharply. After a moment of hesitation, she rushed back towards the window she had opened earlier. With any luck, the gorgon would believe that she left with Barbara and the talisman.


	15. The Gorgon's Circle: Sarah Jane Smith

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Fifteen: Sarah Jane Smith

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: I'm so sorry this took so long! We had a technology meltdown at work over the weekend and I have been pulling a lot of overtime to get things fixed I addition to my normal tasks. I have most of the problems fixed now so hopefully you'll see another chapter in a day or two. I hope you enjoy the climax of the episode The Gorgon's Circle.

Rose leapt through the window back into the section of the house being restored. She could hear running and shouting nearby, but quickly headed for the door of the room. The thick layer of dust that had covered everything in this section of the house had been kicked up by all the movement creating a choking cloud in the air. It was floating into the room through the open air and Rose cursed herself for leaving it open earlier. However, it seemed that Sarah Jane was distracting the minions too much for anyone to notice. Quickly, Rose pulled out the mirror and checked the hallway for the gorgon as she slipped out into the hall. She kept her right hand free and braced for summoning her sword.

Suddenly a loud shriek echoed through the manor, "The talisman has been stolen! Forget that woman and find the talisman! That Chesterton woman took the talisman."

Smirking at the sound of the gorgon's shout, Rose ducked back into the room just before a group of the human minions rushed past the doorway. She looked out into the hallway a moment later and used the mirror to check both directions before she stepped out. The problem was that she had no idea where Sarah Jane was. Based on the gorgon's shout, the woman had managed to slip her pursuers, but was probably still in the house. Rose moved for the stairway, figuring that the high view of the action was probably her best chance once again. She moved up the stairs quickly and started walking down the long dark hall back towards the main room. A sudden creak at the other end of the hall made Rose duck into the nearest room. Pressing against the wall, Rose used her mirror to look out into the hallway. A female figure was moving quickly down the hall towards Rose, but she did not hear any hissing or see the snakes. The figure was very close before Rose's eyes had adjusted enough to see that it was Sarah Jane. Rose slipped her mirror into her pocket and watched Sarah Jane come closer.

Reaching out, Rose grabbed Sarah Jane's hand and pulled her into the room. Not willing to risk the woman shouting, Rose snapped her hand over the woman's mouth and put a finger on her lips. To Rose's surprise, the journalist remained quiet and her eyes widened only a tiny bit. Letting her hand fall away, Rose gestured into the room with her head and both moved away from the door. They listened to the silence of the house and distant movement for a long moment.

"Don't you live on my street," Sarah Jane asked in a low voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Yes I live on Bannerman Road," Rose answered quickly and quietly. "But we need to get you out of here. These people are very dangerous."

Sarah Jane raised an eyebrow at Rose impatiently, "I know what I am doing…"

"Rose Tyler, Jackie's daughter," Rose supplied quickly. "But this isn't a place to be looking for a story. These people are very dangerous."

"I know about the Gorgon Circle,' Sarah Jane said as she glanced over at the door. "And trust me this is no place for a student. I need to free that woman in the main room."

"Already done," Rose said as she crossed her arms impatiently. "Barbara is on her way back into town and a military division will be here in about ten minutes. You need to leave."

Sarah Jane gave Rose a very stern searching look, "What do you know?"

"I know you were at Bea's hospital looking for information about the people who attacked her," Rose replied. "But the story is over, you need to leave so you don't get caught in the cross fire."

A loud hissing noise just up the stairs made both women turn sharply towards the door. "The gorgon," Sarah Jane whispered.

Rose thought back to the main room, the gorgon hadn't shown the snake hair until after Sarah Jane left. "How do you know that?" Rose asked softly as the moved away from the door.

"How do you know that?" Sarah Jane asked with a sharp look. As the sound of hissing grew, Sarah Jane added. "You need to run."

Rose grabbed Sarah Jane's arm and pulled her towards the door. The woman fought only for a moment as Rose pulled her out into the hallway. They started to move for the stairs, but both women stopped when they heard hissing coming from the staircase. Without a word, they both rushed into a room and Sarah Jane carefully closed the door. Leaning on it, Sarah Jane turned to Rose who was pulling out her mobile phone. Rose hit the speed dial for UNIT and groaned softly as the menu came up. Shaking her head, she hit zero and waited for the person to pick up.

"This is Rose Tyler," Rose said softly. "UNIT identification number D547. Put me through to Colonel John Benton." 

"What?" Sarah Jane gasped as she gaped at the girl in shock. "Who are you? How do you know UNIT and Benton?"

Rose blinked at the woman and chuckled despite herself an odd idea entered her mind, "Let me guess," Rose said. "The Doctor." 

Sarah Jane was silent and just kept gaping at Rose as she spoke into the mobile phone in a very low voice. Benton was nearly to Highrock House with a division of soldiers. Rose quickly informed him that they were dealing with a gorgon. To her surprise, Benton knew what she was talking about. Hanging up the phone, Rose moved closer to the door and listened to the footsteps in the corridor.

"They will be here very soon," Rose whispered. "We just have to stay out of their way."

"You're awfully young to know the Doctor?" Sarah Jane whispered as she examined Rose. "How old are you?" 

"Not now," Rose responded as she rolled her eyes. "Gorgon remember."

Sarah Jane turned away from the door and went to examine the window. It was boarded up for the construction, but the cracked wood let plenty of light into the room. Rose watched Sarah Jane carefully pull at the boards until she could see that it was a solid old fashioned window that did not open enough for a person to climb through. Sighing softly, Rose turned her attention back to the door and her eyes widened as she heard the footsteps returning with force. The sudden crash of a door being thrown open down the hall made her turn to Sarah Jane.

"Downstairs," Rose hissed. "Now!"

As doors slammed open down the hall, both Rose and Sarah Jane dashed out of the room and away from the noise. Behind them, the minions started shouting and chasing them. Rose heard Sarah Jane laugh excitedly as they rushed to the staircase and down the stairs. Grabbing Sarah Jane's hand, Rose guided them into the room she had climbed through. The minions were right behind them, but neither woman mentioned it as Rose started to help Sarah Jane through the window. Sarah Jane was just outside and reaching through to help Rose when the sound of hissing entered the room. Rose saw Sarah Jane close her eyes and did the same.

"Go!" Rose shouted, "Help Benton if you can."

Rose felt several pairs of hands grab her and a smooth chuckle from the gorgon. She hoped that Sarah Jane had taken the smart route and left the immediate view of the gorgon. Rose thought about summoning forth her sword, but the stillness in the room made her second guess that choice. She couldn't see and at least three people were holding her.

"To the main hall," the elegant gorgon voice hissed. "I'll deal with this one there."

Rose didn't risk opening her eyes, even if the presence of the minions and the gorgon at the same time inferred that the gorgon once again had herself covered. She was maneuvered through the long corridors and Rose had to open her eyes a little to climb around the scaffolding that blocked most of the hallway. Risking a quick glance up at the gorgon's back, Rose could see the large sunglasses back on the fine features and relaxed slightly. They arrived in the main hall and Rose smiled slightly at the sight of the still and silent machine. The gorgon turned sharply and seated herself on the throne. Rose was released and pushed forward by the human minions who then bowed.

"So another intruder," the gorgon commented, tapping her fingernails against the chair of her throne. "There do seem to be a large number of you today."

"I just came to see the house," Rose said wide eyes.

"You are a terrible liar girl," the gorgon remarked.

Rose shrugged and sighed, "Yeah I'm afraid so. Still you can't be good at everything."

"I don't think you fully grasp your situation," the gorgon said with an amused smirk.

"Let's see," Rose said very calmly, "You are an alien that is known in mythology as the gorgon. There were three of you that came to Earth to build a portal to your homeworld so you could take over Earth. I'm guessing the first one died in ancient times and the second was destroyed by Bea Nelson-Stanley and her husband which is how she got the talisman. You've been searching for it for many years and finally tracked Bea down at which point you had her attacked."

"Very well," the gorgon said without any hint of surprise, "You know a great deal." The gorgon gestured to the large device behind Rose. "The machine was destroyed in ancient times by that damn Athena with the help of the human Perseus. She scattered the pieces which appeared to humans to be merely ancient art. My sister and I had almost completed our task and were searching for the talisman that Athena hid in Syria. The Nelson-Stanleys discovered the talisman and ruined our chance to finish the task. My sister was killed by Edgar Nelson-Stanley and he used the talisman to save his wife which denied us even that victory. My injuries were severe and it took time to heal. When I was strong again I created my followers to help me in my glorious mission." 

"Are they really human?" Rose asked with a glance at them. "Or under mind control?" 

The gorgon laughed, "They have been promised wealth and power in a new brilliant world under the rule of the gorgon. They serve willing for their survival." The gorgon turned back to Rose, "Tell me where the talisman is and I may spare you."

"The talisman is miles from here now," Rose answered honestly.

"The Chesterton woman," the gorgon said. "Simple enough, she'll try to save her husband before fleeing with it. Human emotions are your greatest weakness."

Opening her mouth to reply, Rose paused at the sounds of shouting from near the front door and smirked as she realized that for once UNIT timing was excellent. Another human rushed into the room gasping and gesturing wildly towards the front of the house while muttering about soldiers. The gorgon hissed loudly and shouted for the others to go and secure the house. As the room emptied, Rose saw the gorgon reaching up for her glasses and started to pull them off. Rose turned away, but saw that the remaining three humans in the room were suddenly stone next to her.

Slamming her eyes shut, Rose summoned forth her sword to her hand and shifted into a fighting stance. Rose swung her sword in a wide arc in front of her and listened to the shriek of the gorgon. Rose turned away and risked opening her eyes in order to look down at the mirror that she had pulled from her pocket. Her sword has sliced a long wound across the gorgon's chest, but this served only to make it angry. The gorgon lunged at Rose, trying to grab her, but Rose dodged out of the way. The mirror distorted her sense of place, but Rose ducked behind one of the statues of the human minions to regain her sense of place.

"Well you are full of surprises aren't you," the gorgon hissed as she stalked towards Rose. The gorgon stopped by one of the statues and examined it. Then she shoved it forward, shattering it on the ground and sending pieces of stone around the room. "I confess I am a touch impressed by your classical education." 

"Actually I know Egyptian mythology better than Greek," Rose replied as she watched the gorgon in the mirror. The sound of guns firing outside did not seem to bother her at all. "After all I've fought an Egyptian god which frankly upstages a simple classical Greek monster."

"Classical monster," the gorgon hissed. "Perseus only managed to kill my sister with the help of an alien."

"Athena was an alien?" Rose asked with surprise before she shook it off. It shouldn't surprise her that a human living thousands of years ago would need an alien's help. In fact it made more sense than the whole mythology with Athena being a god.

The gorgon used Rose's moment of distraction to rush her, shoving another statue into the one Rose was hiding behind. She barely managed to scramble out from under the falling stone. Catching herself, Rose managed to keep her grip on her sword, but her small mirror slid across the floor.

"Oops," the gorgon chuckled as Rose closed her eyes quickly and stood up. "Such a silly accident."

Rose shifted as she tried to hear the gorgon's movement against the hardwood floor and the stone rumble. The gorgon started to circle Rose, her elegant heels clicking against the floor over the gunfire. "I hope you know that freeing the Chesterton woman and bringing these soldiers has only delayed the destruction of your planet. I survived Athena and that damn Bea Nelson-Stanley with her murdering husband. I will not be thwarted like my sisters. 

"You're the last gorgon," Rose reminded her as she tracked her movement getting closer and closer. "You die and it is over."

"It is never over."

The gorgon moved forward and Rose swung her sword towards the sound of movement, but impacted with nothing. Freezing, Rose tried to find another sound, but the room had gone completely still. All the sounds Rose had been using to track the gorgon had stopped. There was no hissing, no clicks on her heels or shifting of the stones.

"Perhaps you would make a good host for me," the gorgon said right behind Rose before grabbing her around the neck. "I usually don't like blondes, but in five years that hair will be serpents."

Rose twisted against the gorgon, but the icy grip on her neck was having a strange effect on her. Her sword felt heavy in her hand and her fingers loosened. It fell to the ground with a sharp metallic thud. Then the gorgon's hand calmly turned Rose to face her. Its eyes were glowing an intense light blue and she stepped closer to Rose. The gorgon eased the grip on Rose's neck and brought its hand up to tilt Rose's chin up. Rose's brown eyes met the glowing blue eye and she felt extremely weak. Vaguely Rose was aware of the serpents starting to glow and a strange blurry image overtaking her of the snakes moving towards her.

Suddenly, Rose's mobile rang and echoed in the room. It was enough for Rose to snap back to reality and slam her eyes shut. Reacting on instinct, Rose punched the gorgon in the stomach and brought her leg up in a kick. Turning away from the gorgon, Rose risked opening her eyes long enough to grab her sword. A few feet away she could see her still open compact mirror that now had a large crack in it. Using the tiny reflection, Rose saw the gorgon rising behind her and the odd glowing beginning again. With one fluid movement, Rose closed her eyes and spun with her sword towards the gorgon. Rose never felt any resistance from the sword as it sliced through the neck of the gorgon. There was a terrible scream that suddenly turned into a garble before becoming silent.

Hearing a thud, Rose took a breath and carefully turned away from the sound of slight hissing that was still in the room. When she was sure that her back was to the gorgon's head, Rose opened her eyes and located the cracked mirror. Picking it up, she used it to examine the severed head of the gorgon. To her relief there was no blood that she recognized as human and only a small pool of light blue fluid had leaked from the head. The eyes were wide open and the snakes were still moving slightly. Carefully, Rose moved around the room to the throne where she picked up the discarded turban from earlier. Retracting her sword into the bracelet form, Rose used the mirror to guide her movements in wrapping the gorgon's head up carefully. Given the mythology around the gorgon head, Rose was completely willing to believe that it might be able to turn a person to stone for a few minutes after.

Grinning at the almost evil idea that was forming in her mind, Rose picked up the gorgon's head and adjusted it carefully in her arms. Once she felt secure with it, Rose clicked the mirror shut and headed for the sounds of fighting. To Rose's surprise, the human servants of the gorgon were very well armed with machine guns and several rifles in addition to simple handguns. A quick glance out the window told Rose that UNIT was barricaded with their jeeps outside the house. Staying out of sight, Rose went to a corner of the house and hid her body in the opposite hallway. She adjusted the gorgon's head and shifted it to one hand. Rose flinched as she was left clutching the serpents with the fabric of the turban and lifted the head out into the hallway so it was in sight of the gorgon's men.

"Look out!" Rose shouted as loud as she could. There were a few shots in her direction that sailed past and then the room went silent. Listening for movement, Rose dropped the fabric back over the gorgon's eyes and pulled it into the side hallway with her. Pulling out her mirror, Rose used it to look around the corner and laughed as a large group of statues met her eyes. Stepping out into the main room, Rose set the gorgon's head on a table very gently and cautiously looked out of a window. A few UNIT troops were moving towards the house now that the firing had stopped. Smirking, Rose sat down on a couch next to the table, keeping a steady hand on the gorgon's head to avoid any accidents. A moment later Mickey, Private Jenkins and two more enlisted men stepped into the room, their weapons still up.

"Stand down boys," Rose said. "Hi Mickey." She waved a little and gestured towards the statues, "They don't pose a threat, but you might want to check the rest of the house."

"Hello Rose," Mickey said as he shook his head. "I look forward to hearing this story." 

"It's not really that long," Rose said as she stood up with a shrug and collected the gorgon's head from the table. "Fought a gorgon, cut off its head and used the head to turn its followers into stone. Simple really. Is the Colonel outside?"

"Uh yeah," one of the men said with an awestruck look on his face.

"Alright then," Rose said brightly. "I'll see you later then."

Rose smirked and walked past the men into the yard. Behind her she heard one of the privates she didn't know say, "That's Rose Tyler?!"

The troops parted for Rose and she was quickly directed to where Colonel Benton was waiting. Rose spotted Sarah Jane quickly in the sea of military uniforms with her purple trench coat. The older woman turned to Rose and relaxed in relief before she moved quickly towards her.

"Careful," Rose said quickly as the woman approached. Lifting the wrapped head with both of her hands, Rose added, "Gorgon's head." 

"You killed it?" Sarah Jane asked with wide eyes. "How?"

"Oh she has a mystical sword," Benton supplied with a smile as he joined them.

"It is not mystical," Rose said with an exaggerated eye roll and a small smile. "So where can I put this down. The snakes are still moving a bit and I'm not going to lie, it is very weird."

Benton called one of the medical team over who gently took the head with a look of horror and fascination. Sighing in relief, Rose stretched out her arms and rubbed the back of her neck to work out some tension. Benton gave her a moment before asking what happened inside. Once Rose told him, Benton nodded.

"Barbara Chesterton phoned UNIT once she was home."

"Ian?" 

"According to Mrs. Chesterton, he is just fine. I've sent some men to collect the talisman, but I believe that they will be glad to see you safe."

Rose smiled and nodded, thanking Benton for the update on the Chestertons. Then she turned to Sarah Jane and held out her hand. "I'm Rose Tyler. I'm a friend of the Doctor's and UNIT's special civilian consultant."

Sarah Jane smiled and shook Rose's hand, "I'm Sarah Jane Smith, I used to travel with the Doctor and I am an investigative journalist." 

Benton sighed loudly, "That's just what we needed. The two of you knowing each other."

"Worse than that Benton," Sarah Jane said with a smile. "We live next to each other."

Benton shook his head and gave another loud sigh, "I should be surprised, but I'm not." He noticed a captain walking towards them. "Excuse me ladies."

Once Benton was gone, Sarah Jane looked at Rose curiously, "So how did you meet the Doctor?" 

Rose laughed, "Tell you what, I'm heading back into Cambridge to see Ian and Barbara. If you don't have anything else planned you should join us for dinner."

"I suppose," Sarah Jane said slowly with a hint of confusion.

"Great," Rose said with a grin, "The Companion's Club has just expanded."

"You were a companion?" Sarah Jane asked with a tilt of her head.

Rose shook her head and pulled out the chain she kept her TARDIS key on. "Not yet, but I will be. Welcome to my crazy life Sarah Jane Smith."


	16. The Gorgon's Circle:The Companion Dinner

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Sixteen: The Companion Dinner

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: I wanted to get this chapter out quickly, but I had one episode slot left to fill for the 'season' that I have been trying to come up with something for. Fortunately I got a brilliant idea or at least I think it is. I spent yesterday rearranging the rest of the series line up to make room for my Christmas episode which will be the fifth episode. If I stay on course with updates every few days I can even have the Christmas episode out the week of Christmas!

As much as Rose wanted to continue her conversation with Sarah Jane, she was unable to as Benton returned and needed her to complete a debriefing of what had occurred. The reporter had stayed close and listened to Rose's story of meeting Bea, gaining the talisman and her travel to Highrock House. Benton in his usual easy going manner did not press Rose for how she knew about Highrock and accepted her normal excuse of hacking. Sarah Jane had apparently located the house through several weeks of research and tracking. As a result of this information, Rose was certain that Benton knew Rose had a different method, but respected her enough not to ask.

Sarah Jane and Rose had parted ways after watching UNIT clean up a bit. It was clear that the older woman wished to ask Rose questions, but was hesitant to with so many UNIT soldiers around them. Given Sarah Jane's recoil away from the weapons carried by the soldiers, Rose concluded that the woman disliked firearms and despite her warm greeting of Colonel Benton had reservations. It bothered Rose a bit, that she judged UNIT so quickly, but if Sarah Jane had traveled with the Doctor she had probably experience a fair share of traumatic situations.

Rose's mobile phone rang again and Rose quickly excused herself to take the call. It was Barbara who was at the Chesterton house with Ian and nearly frantic. However, Rose was able to calm the older woman down and assure her that the crisis was over. Barbara in return assured Rose that Ian was in good health and spirits. Thus, dinner plans had been made for the evening with Sarah Jane and Rose gave the woman the Chesterton's address. They parted ways a touch awkwardly and Sarah Jane watched Rose bid Benton goodbye and hug Mickey before heading for her car.

As she started walking back down the drive towards her bike, Rose pulled out her mobile again and checked her recent calls. It had been Shireen who called during her fight with the gorgon. Raising her eyebrow, Rose hit the three number on her speed dial and waited.

"Rose!" Shireen's voice said with relief, "Are you okay? Is the gorgon dead?" 

"I'm fine," Rose said in confusion. "Wait how did you know?"

"Hold on, speakerphone," Shireen said.

"Rose?" Sharon's voice asked, "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah I hear you," Rose said with a small smile. "What is going on?" 

"We got a letter from Eve this morning," Sharon said. "Delivered to our flat with instructions on when to call you."

"Eve told you when to call me?" Rose hissed in shock. "Are you serious?" 

"Her letter said you were in danger and that the ring of the phone would snap you out of the gorgon's trance. It must have worked." 

Rose laughed into the phone and shook her head, "Good old Eve. I cut off the gorgon's head and then used it to turn her followers into stone."

Cheering on the other end of the line made Rose pull the phone away from her ear quickly. She gave her friends a moment before putting the phone back to her ear. "Thanks you two," Rose said warmly. "I'll call you later, I've got some things I need to see to here."

"Love you honey," Sharon called out loudly.

"Stay out of trouble," Shireen added quickly.

"I make no promises," Rose teased as she reached her bike, "Love you both. See you soon."

Her drive back to Cambridge was calm and quiet and Rose arrived at the Chesterton's house just after Sarah Jane. The older brunette woman was staring at the house with hesitation and looked over at Rose with a bit of relief when she pulled up on her motorcycle and removed her helmet.

"I suppose I should have known that you would ride a motorcycle," Sarah Jane said in an attempt to break the tension.

"Yeah," Rose said as she packed her helmet away and pulled out her bag. "My mum and Barbara hate it."

They were silent as they walked up the walk to the Chesterton's front door. It opened and a smiling Barbara stepped out to hug Rose and greet Sarah Jane. Ushering them inside, Barbara called for Ian who quickly entered the sitting room and hugged Rose.

Sarah Jane remained at the door somewhat awkwardly while watching Ian and Barbara's warm welcome of Rose into their home. Ian turned towards the journalist with a smile and shook her hand. "Rose told us on the phone that you know the Doctor as well."

"Yes, I used to travel with him," Sarah Jane said.

"Well don't just stand there by the door," Barbara said with a smile. "Come inside and sit down. You can tell us all about how you met him."

"How did you meet him?" Sarah Jane asked curiously as the group sat down.

Rose laughed and looked at the Chesterton, "Sarah Jane is a journalist."

Barbara and Ian exchanged an amused look, but Ian launched into the story of his and Barbara's meeting of the Doctor through his granddaughter Susan on Earth. Sarah Jane was clearly surprised by their description of the Doctor as a grumpy old man with his granddaughter who had stubbornly refused to let them return home out of fear of them revealing too much.

Rose giggled, having heard the story from both the Chestertons and the Doctor himself and added, "Well he was very young at the time."

Ian laughed at Rose's remark while Barbara hid her smile and shook her head. Sarah Jane finally seemed to relax in their company and accepted a glass of wine form Ian. With a glance towards Rose, Sarah Jane explained her own meeting the Doctor at a research facility that she had slipped into using her aunt's name.

"Of course he realized that I was too young to be Lavina Smith," Sarah Jane said with a small smile. "He was working for the UNIT at the time as their scientific advisor." 

"That was when the Time Lords had exiled him to Earth," Rose reminded the Chestertons quickly before motioning to Sarah Jane to continued. "Just after his exile was lifted."

"Well I wandered into the TARDIS," Sarah Jane said with a slight blush and tilt of her head. "He used the TARDIS to travel back in time to the middle ages and I wandered out of it."

"Oh my god," Ian laughed. "You're lucky he realized you were there."

"I know," Sarah Jane admitted. "Since his TARDIS was working again he took me along with him."

"How long did you travel with him," Barbara asked.

"I'm not sure exactly," Sarah Jane said. "I saw him through a regeneration and stayed on for a while longer. He was called back to Gallifrey," Sarah Jane said as her expression fell. "He had to leave me on Earth."

"Are you alright?" Rose asked gently, noticing the tension in Sarah Jane.

"I thought he died," Sarah Jane confessed. "Since he went to Gallifrey and I never saw him again."

"He doesn't visit," Barbara said softly. "Ian and I got ourselves home and never heard anything from him or Susan."

Rose remained very quiet during the exchange, but looked up to see Ian watching her carefully while Barbara spoke gently with Sarah Jane. Looking down into her glass, Rose avoided Ian's stare and thought about her mobile phone that had the TARDIS on speed dial.

Sarah Jane recovered quickly and shoved her emotions away before turning to Rose with a forced little smile. "So how did you meet the Doctor," Sarah Jane asked. "You're very young to have traveled with him. Earlier you said-"

"I haven't traveled with him yet," Rose said with a nod. "He's asked me to travel with him, but I'm delaying it until I finish school. In the meantime I work for UNIT as the only Special Civilian Consultant."

"How does that happen?" Sarah Jane asked, clearly overwhelmed and disbelieving.

Rose was a touch nervous, the woman wasn't as calm as Rose would have liked and was clearly holding in many emotions. Personally, Rose couldn't imagine how it must have felt to believe the Doctor dead once he never returned. It was a situation that she could not imagine and knew that he would never tolerate given the strange romantic relationship she had with a future form of him. Swallowing a gulp of water from her glass, Rose launched into the story of how she had met the Doctor at the age of eleven when children were taken. Sarah Jane's eyes widened as Rose finished.

"That was you?!" Sarah Jane gasped, "I remember meeting the girl that led the children out."

Rose blinked in surprise at Sarah Jane's reaction and shook her head, "Sorry I don't remember." 

"Well," Sarah Jane quickly said. "Given what had happened you had more important things to worry about. I brought you a bottle of water and waited with you until your mother came." 

"I sort of remember that," Rose said with a shrug, "Sorry."

"Doesn't matter," Sarah Jane said, brushing it off quickly. "But how did that result in you becoming a member of UNIT all these years later?"

"Well…" Rose shrugged with a nervous smile, "Something happened with aliens when I was fourteen, then fifteen, then sixteen," Rose shook her head, "And seventeen and eighteen. Lately things have escalated to several times in just the last few months."

Barbara and Ian were grinning at the shocked look on Sarah Jane's face as they were fairly familiar with Rose's strange history. Sarah Jane recovered and raised an eyebrow with a small smile pulling at her lips, "You had better explain in more detail than that."

Smiling in return, Rose leaned back into the soft arm chair and started telling Sarah Jane all about the strange encounter she had with the Mona Lisa at the International Gallery when she was only fourteen years old. It had been her second meeting the Doctor and she relished watching the shock, awe and touch of fear on Sarah Jane's face as she told the tale. Rose spoke only a little of Eve, her relationship with the friend she hadn't seen in years felt far too personal and important to share with Sarah Jane right now. Sarah Jane's eyes grew angry as Rose discusses her first assignment for UNIT when she was sixteen in the illegal operation of Colonel Adams and how that event had brought Lethbridge-Stewart and Benton back to active duty. Rose had just finished her story about the alien robots that removed all the humans, except herself by accident, in order to find Gavin.

"And then I turned around and the Doctor was standing there clapping," Rose finished dramatically just as Barbara's oven timer went off.

"That's enough of that for now Rose,' Barbara said standing up. "Come on then, it is time for dinner and I think it is your turn to share some stories Sarah Jane."

"So this is what you do?" Sarah Jane asked as they walked into the Chesterton dining room. "You get together for dinner and drinks and share stories about the Doctor?"

"Yes," Barbara said calmly, "You are welcome to join us. We do this every other weekend on Sunday normally. Tonight is special of course." Barbara paused as she set the shepard's pie on the table. "I suppose the schedule will change with the holidays. Maybe we could have a meal at your home Rose?"

"We'll see," Rose said. "I'd have an interesting time explaining to my mother why my best friends at university are a pair of university professors. She'll just love that."

"Perhaps my home then," Sarah Jane offered with a touch of nervousness. "Rose lives close by to me."

"Oh Gita will love that," Rose said as she took a helping with a smile. "Sarah Jane Smith with a social life." 

"Gita?" Barbara asked.

Sarah Jane smiled slightly, "One of the leading gossips on Bannerman Road, equaled only by a certain Jackie Tyler."

"I know," Rose sighed. "But it keeps her out of trouble."

The rest of dinner was dominated by Barbara and Ian telling Sarah Jane about a few of their adventures and Sarah Jane speaking about her own. At one point, Rose found herself worrying about the Doctor because he hadn't answered her call. Sarah Jane's tone when describing the Doctor also made Rose slightly uncomfortable. Barbara and Ian seemed to notice Sarah Jane's tone as well, but Rose did her best to hide her discomfort. She had not told the Chestertons of her relationship with the Doctor beyond that she would one day travel with him and this was not the time or place she wanted them to find out.

Dinner broke up late when Sarah Jane left to return to London and Rose quickly followed so she could attend class the next day. Ian assured her that her absences in class were nothing to be too concerned about. Hugging the Chestertons goodbye, Rose waved to Sarah Jane as the woman climbed into her car. The older woman smiled back and waved as Rose dug her helmet out of the storage compartment. Rose watched the tail lights of Sarah Jane's car drive away. She wondered what was more common for former companions of the Doctor, to live a happy life with the knowledge of the greater universe like Ian and Barbara or to close themselves off from the rest of Earth like Sarah Jane. As she pulled on her helmet, Rose made a silent promise to herself that she wouldn't let Sarah Jane block the Chesterton's out like she had everyone else in her life. At least the journalist seemed to recognize that she had found people that she could talk to.

Rose arrived back at her flat shortly after and took the lift up to her floor, rejecting her usual habit of taking the stairs. Now that the excitement of the day had passed she felt tired, but pleased with the events of the day, even the distasteful action of killing the gorgon. Rose paused at her front door just as she pulled out her keys. The sound of movement inside her flat startled her and then a moment later the door opened in front of her.

The brown-eyed Doctor was standing in her doorway with a large grin and quickly pulled her inside the flat. Rocking on his feet, he seemed to relish Rose's surprise. The TARDIS was parked in the center of the room where there was the most space.

"I tried to make him leave," Mister Spock said.

Rose laughed and closed the front door before shrugging out of her leather jacket. After hanging it up, Rose turned back to the Doctor, grabbed his tie and pulled him down so she could kiss him. Vaguely she heard Mister Spock make some sort of comment, but ignored the Xylok in favor of the Doctor happily returning the kiss. When she pulled back a few minutes later from a good and proper snog with her boyfriend, Rose grinned and said, "Hi honey I'm home."

The Doctor's grin widened and he laughed before kissing her again, much more quickly this time. "Glad you're not angry," he admitted sheepishly with his arms still wrapped around her.

"It worked out," Rose said with a shrug. "And besides I really don't want to call you every time things go oddly. I can handle a lot on my own."

"That's my girl," the Doctor replied with a grin.

"So what were you up to?" Rose asked with a curious tilt of her head.

"Oh a coup on Meritkis II being manipulated by aliens from their neighboring planet," the Doctor replied with a shrug. "How was your day?" 

"Slew a gorgon, saved the Earth and met Sarah Jane Smith," Rose replied with a silly happy smile.

"Oh that was today," the Doctor said. "Ah… I see."

Rose grinned at his nervousness and leaned up to kiss him again quickly. "I'll put on the kettle and then you can tell me all about your day." 

"And you can tell me about yours," the Doctor finished with a grin.

"Oh please," Mister Spock groaned from the corner, "Must I witness this."

The Doctor calmly pulled out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the Xylok's controls. A moment later the Xylok was silent and Rose looked at the Doctor with wide eyes. "What did you do?"

"Just switched off his camera and microphone," the Doctor replied innocently. "You know Sarah Jane has a nice large empty attic that would work really really well for him."

Rose blinked at him and shook her head, "You are completely mad." Then she sighed when he gave her his silly little puppy dog look. "But I adore it."

Grinning, the Doctor waited with Rose in the kitchen for the kettle to boil. Then they settled on the sofa with their tea. Leaning against the Doctor's shoulder, Rose told him all about her day and answered all the questions she was certain he already knew the answer to. Once she was done, Rose listened to the Doctor's story of his day and the odd alien plot that he had stumbled into. She wasn't sure exactly when she fell asleep against him, but the next morning she woke up in her bedroom with a note saying that he would see her soon. Signed at the bottom was an odd series of almost clockwork symbols and the words I love you.


	17. Door of Destruction: Sonic Systems

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Seventeen: Sonic Systems

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: The Doctor is showing up a lot more often than I originally planned on. That man just can't handle not being the center of attention. I'm glad you enjoyed the fluff, but I need to convince Ten that this is plot driven story and he does not get to snog Rose each episode. Anyway onwards to episode four… which I have not figured out a title for yet. Strangely that is one of the hardest things to come up with.

Rose Tyler was eighteen years old and enjoying her winter break in the comfort of her mother's home on Bannerman Road. Her mate Shireen was lounging on Rose's bed and flipping through a recent automotive magazine. Sharon was braiding her long black hair at Rose's vanity and kept adding running commentary to Shireen's conversation about the type of car Rose should purchase. Rose herself was standing in front of her easel and putting the finishing touches on a painting of her mother's garden that she was planning to give to Jackie as a Christmas present later that month. Despite Christmas still being almost four weeks away, Jackie Tyler was in full holiday mode. Rose figured it was because they had the space for a large tree this year and room for the holiday party that Jackie wanted to throw. Hopefully it wouldn't result in a conga line in the middle of the street and the police being called like the party Jackie had thrown when Rose was seventeen. Worst had been watching her tipsy mother flirt with the three officers called to the Powell Estates.

Pausing, Rose listened for a moment and relaxed when she heard her mother's voice downstairs. She could hear her mother discussing decorations with Rita-Anne Smith, Mickey's grandmother downstairs. Frankly, Rose thought that it was overdone already with garlands everywhere along with large annoying red bows, hence the reason she and her friends were hiding in her bedroom.

"I think the Ford Maverick is the best choice," Shireen said as she continued to flip through the magazine. "It's a SUV, but is a brand new hybrid!"

"I still like the BMW," Sharon said. "It looks a lot nicer."

"Yeah, but Rose will want something she can take off road if she has to," Shireen reminded her. "As nice as a cute little car would be, aliens don't always crash near roads."

"I suppose that is true," Sharon agreed. "And with a SUV we could always use her to help us move."

Rose snorted, "I am still listening you know."

"Just checking," Shireen said. "But you do need something with more usability than your motorcycle. I get that you love it and Jackie hates it, but it isn't practical for your hobby."

"Art is my hobby," Rose said with a roll of her eyes, "Aliens are my calling."

"Yeah, especially if they are really attractive with time machines," Sharon teased from across the room.

"Oh shut up," Rose said even as she flushed slightly. Behind her, she was certain that Sharon and Shireen were smirking at each other.

"How is Mister Spock handling things?" Shireen asked. "I can't imagine that he liked being left alone at the flat." 

"When I get the car, I'll bring him here," Rose said. "The flat just isn't working well for him. There is a space limit for what I can do with his interface and not to mention the amount of heat that his systems generate."

"Didn't you say that the Doctor suggested putting him at Sarah Jane's house?" Sharon asked as she turned to face Rose with her completed braids.

"Yes, but things are still a bit awkward with her," Rose admitted. "I'm never sure what to say around her about aliens or the Doctor."

The conversation was cut short by Rita-Anne knocking on the door and bringing in a tray of sandwiches for the girls. She gave them a pleasant smile before she walked back downstairs and resumed her conversation with Jackie.

"It was nice of your mum to have her move in," Sharon said as she snatched a sandwich. "Even if she can be a bit scary."

"It makes mum more comfortable," Rose said as she took a sandwich. "I didn't think about how she'd feel living here by herself when I was at school."

"Jackie is fine," Shireen said. "She's just sorting out her identity now that her daughter has grown into a successful adult that doesn't need her." Shireen said as she nibbled on the edges of her own sandwich. "Combine that mental transition to moving into a new area and no longer having to be as concerned about the bills, clients and local kids causing trouble. It is not surprising that her initial reaction was an attempt to surround herself with familiar faces and her old support network."

Sharon solemnly shook her head, "We never should have let you study psychology."

Shireen's response was to throw one of Rose's pillows at her friend and stick her tongue out. "Watch it!"

Rose just shook her head and made sure that she was out of the line of fire. Given how much Sharon and Shireen enjoyed arguing, it was amazing that they peacefully shared a flat. Rose was about to start teasing them when her phone rang with Malcolm's ringtone. Raising an eyebrow, Rose grabbed the phone and answered it, noting that Sharon and Shireen had quieted down.

"Hello Malcolm," Rose greeted warmly.

"Hello Rose," Malcolm answered back in his usual jovial voice. 'How are you enjoying your break?"

"I'm a bit bored to be honest," Rose admitted with a slight laugh. "Already finished all of my work before I even left in case of an emergency, but nothing has come up." 

"Well then," Malcolm said. "Toshiko is working on a little project and thought that you might like to give her a hand."

"Tosh wants my help?" Rose repeated.

"I have to request it," Malcolm said. "UNIT protocols and all that. She is working on the sonic modulator again. You're one of the few people who have seen the sonic screwdriver up close so…"

"I'm free tomorrow," Rose said. "Sounds interesting if nothing else."

"Alright then," Malcolm said. "We will see you at HQ in the morning, I'll get in about nine."

Rose hung up the phone and turned to find Sharon and Shireen looking at her with amused smiles. Shireen raised her eyebrow and said, "You know that most people want to spend their school breaks relaxing and avoiding work right? They don't usually go into science labs and work on advanced technology."

"I'm not usual," Rose replied with a pleased smile as she put her paintbrushes back into her kit. Sitting down next to Shireen on the bed, Rose looked at the magazine and asked "So which one did you think I should get?"

They spent the rest of the day chatting and lounging around the house before Sharon and Shireen headed back to their flat. Unlike Rose who returned home completely for the holidays, Sharon and Shireen kept living in their flat in London. Now that she was back in her mother's house and worrying about alien invasions or crashes, Rose understood why they would be happier with more privacy.

Rose woke up early the next morning and set to work making a full breakfast for herself, her mum and Mrs. Smith. Rita-Anne was into the kitchen well before Jackie and settled down at the table with a cup of coffee and the newspaper. She chatted with Rose for a while about how Mickey was and happily said that she was having dinner with Mickey and his girlfriend Emily Wells. Rose smiled and nodded, only half listening to Rita-Anne's happy ramble about her grandson. Of course Rose was happy for Mickey, but she saw and spoke with him far more often than Rita-Anne realized. Jackie stumbled into the kitchen fresh out of the shower and with her makeup already done up, but still in her dressing gown. Rose accepted the kiss from Jackie on her cheek and started dishing up food onto plates.

Jackie dominated the conversation over breakfast, catching up Rose and Rita-Anne on the latest gossip she had heard from Bev while on the phone last night. Rita-Anne was far more interested than Rose was, but she listened patiently before she excused herself to head out. Jackie wasn't thrilled that Rose was going to Malcolm's lab while on break, but Rose had been home for several days without distraction so she said nothing. Giving her mother a quick kiss, Rose grabbed her leather coat and bag while heading for the door.

Arriving at the Tower of London among the mass of tourists and yet still finding that small drive into the secret base always amazed her. The London Base simply amazed Rose that it could be successfully hidden under a major landmark like the Tower of London. She parked her bike and grinned at one of the soldiers who were standing guard. He gave her a respectful nod and softly said, "Nice bike."

"Thanks," Rose said. "Can I go through or do I need to wait for an escort." 

"One moment Miss Tyler," the guard replied as he pressed a button next to him. "An escort will be right here for you."

Private Ross Jenkins, a friend of Mickey's and an UNIT soldier that Rose had met many times appeared in the doorway and nodded to Rose. Smiling in greeting, Rose walked over to him and waited patiently while he entered her security status. Ross wasn't much for small talk, but he politely asked how she and her family were as he led her to Malcolm's laboratory. Rose bid the young soldier farewell and stepped into the large workspace that was controlled by Malcolm.

The UNIT HQ lab was a large room with machines lining the walls, work stations filling up the center space and several members of the scientific staff working on various experiments throughout the room. Several offices were attached to this space and Rose headed for the one marked with Malcolm's name since she didn't see him working with the others. Quickly, she greeted Doctor Nasser Kapoor and Doctor Andrew Peters who she had worked with on the teleport. Malcolm's door was wide open and Toshiko was sitting in the chair in front of his desk. Smiling, Rose knocked on the open door to announce her presence.

Toshiko jumped slightly, but a large smile formed on her face when she saw Rose. The Asian woman stood up and hugged Rose tightly. "Hello Rose," Tosh said a moment later as she released her.

Chuckling, Malcolm came around his desk and also hugged Rose, "Good to see you Rose." 

"I see you've missed me," Rose said with a smile. "It is nice to be back in London." 

"Not that you've had trouble finding trouble in Cambridge," Malcolm teased.

Rose smiled and shrugged, "What can I say? I'm jeopardy friendly."

They spoke only a little longer about things in their lives until Malcolm received a phone call. Once he turned away to take it, Tosh motioned for Rose to follow her and led the younger girl into Tosh's own office. On her desk were the plans to the original sonic modulator along with a stack of notes and new diagrams. The large cylindrical sonic modulator was set on a large pad in the center of her desk with various tools around it. Smiling, Rose stepped closer and examined it, but did not touch it.

Picking up Tosh's notes, Rose sat down in the spare chair while Tosh took her seat behind her desk. They settled into a comfortable silence with Rose asking questions as she came across notes that she didn't understand. Toshiko had altered the original design a large amount in order to stabilize the vibrations caused by the device. It was nowhere near the level of the sonic screwdriver, but a controlled released of high frequency vibrations could be very useful when repairing or examining unknown equipment. It was far beyond anything Rose had ever encountered in her physics classes or the numerous papers she had to read.

"This is inspired Tosh," Rose said she read through the changes. "Absolutely inspired."

"Thank you," Tosh said with a large smile. "Of course the construction of the changes is going to be very difficult."

"Certainly," Rose said with a nod. "Have you considered building it in larger scale first? That might be easier than trying to create their components on such a small scale. If there are problems with the first version repairs would be nearly impossible."

"Limited resources," Toshiko explained with a sad sigh. "UNIT grants me only a certain level of funds unless I can show improvement in the project." Toshiko shrugged, "Of course I can't blame them for that, I wouldn't want to spend millions of pounds building something that only might work. Plus if it explodes or has an accident that the larger scale the damage would be immense."

"True," Rose said thoughtfully, "I wonder what kind of safeties are built into the sonic screwdriver to avoid an explosion following power disruption."

"Probably triggers an implosion rather than an explosion," Toshiko said thoughtfully before shaking her head. "Anyway the plan is to start building the components and after testing each one put them together. I've got everything I need in workroom four." Toshiko smiled widely, "Want to help?" 

Grinning, Rose nodded and nearly shouted, "Yes!"

Toshiko and Rose moved three doors down to one of the closed workrooms with the sonic modulator. Toshiko set it very carefully on the main worktable and Rose put the notes beside it. This room was much larger than Tosh's office, but smaller than the main lab room. Rose saw several boxes stacked carefully on one of the counters and recognized some of the competent names. Turning to Tosh, Rose slipped on the lab coat the older woman handed her and pulled her hair back with a hair tie into a pony tail. "I'm about to learn more today than I probably did in all my classes."

"Probably," Tosh agreed. "Let's get started."

They worked for three hours, only briefly stopping to chase down the sandwich cart that came through UNIT. Rose worked carefully under Tosh's guidance and watched as the improved sections of the sonic modulator started to take form. Toshiko hoped to bring the modulator under more control to avoid it simply releasing the eye drum destroying sound wave. Tuning the frequency was the key, but Rose could already see progress.

The door swung open and Malcolm rushed into the room. His eyes landed on the sonic modulator and he grinned, "Oh look at that! It is lovely, absolutely lovely."

"Uh Doctor Taylor," Toshiko asked with a slightly nervous tone at his manic excitement, "Did you need something?"

"What?" Malcolm looked up at her in confusion before he seemed to remember something. "Oh yes, Tosh hurry come with me. You as well Rose. Something odd has happened."

Rose glanced at Toshiko in curiosity, but the older woman seemed used to Malcolm's strange rambling. Shrugging, Rose followed both of them out into the main lab where all the scientist and two soldiers were staring at a large television. Several stepped out of the way for them so they could see as well.

A young male news reporter was standing in the middle of a street that didn't look like anything unusual. "Strange reports from Croydon originated in this area. Without warning, twenty-one people lost the ability to speak and have been taken to the hospital. According to the doctors there is no sign of infection in those affected by this sudden attack. Witnesses place the strange event at 11:31 this morning, only thirty-seven minutes ago."

"That's weird," Rose said with a raised eyebrow, "Very weird."

The news reporter was speaking with one of the witness, a sister of one of the affected people when behind him a series of windows suddenly cracked and shattered to the ground. Then the lens of the camera split, creating a massive distortion in the image.

"Very very weird," Rose amended. Turning to Malcolm and Tosh, Rose smiled and said, "We should go and take a look."


	18. Door of Destruction: Vibrating Air

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Eighteen: Vibrating Air

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: The Tenth Doctor thanks the reviewers for their words on his behalf and I'm afraid that you people have worn me down some or a lot. Ten keeps pointing out that once Rose starts traveling with his previous form he won't be around very much so he should be allowed frequent visits right now. Never say that I don't listen to you when you review, but I am keeping the plot focus!

Things had escalated by the time they arrived in one of the UNIT jeeps with Private Jenkins and Private Davis as their escorts. The police had closed off the area as every glass surface had begun to shatter. The shops and offices closed to allow employees to leave, but it wasn't as simple as that for the two tall residential buildings that were now without glass or the vehicles with large cracks in their windows, if they had windows left at all. Add that to the fact that ten more people in the last half an hour had lost their ability to speak and rumors were flying. Television crews were crowding the police barriers in the roadways and bystanders were looking into the deserted glass filled streets trying to see something.

Rose had never been in this part of London before. Growing up, there had never been many reasons to tour around the city except for a few school trips to museums. Croydon was also not an area that Jackie did much shopping in. This was a nice section of Croydon, but fortunately not at the center of the shops and schools which would have been a mad house. It was bad enough as it was with people craning to get a look at their transport as they rolled past the police barrier. Rose was grateful for the tinted windows and pulled a pair of sunglasses from her bag to help hide her face. They parked in the middle of the contained area and Rose stepped out of the transport after Toshiko.

Malcolm frowned as he looked up at the tall buildings that were now lacking their windows. "This is certainly odd," Malcolm said, pulling off his glasses to clean them. "Human voices and glass breaking. What is the connection?"

Malcolm pulled out his small handheld computer and started muttered to himself as he wandered away from Toshiko and Rose to examine the damage.

"You looked at the data on the way here," Rose said as they were waved through the barrier into the closed street. "Anything similar in the victims?" 

"Not really," Toshiko said as she shook her head. "Over half were children to teenagers. Some adult women, only two adult males and otherwise they were all elderly people. The only thing they had in common was the area."

"An area which shortly after had everything glass shatter," Rose muttered. "I can't imagine anything natural that could cause that."

"Agreed," Toshiko said with a nervous glance around. "Most of the residents have left, but searching the buildings might be a good idea."

"Tosh?" Rose finally asked, "What is it?"

Toshiko swallowed and looked around, "Does the air feel odd to you?" 

"The air?" Rose asked with a tilt of her head. She paused and closed her eyes as she examined the air around her. "Actually yeah," Rose said as she opened her eyes and frowned. "I don't know what it is, but yeah something feels off."

Toshiko nodded and started walking back to the UNIT car where her laptop was and their escort was waiting. Rose blinked at her friend's quick pace and stared after her in confusion. It only took Rose a moment to realize that Toshiko must have had an idea and then she took off after her. Remaining silent while Toshiko pulled out her computer, Rose watched as Toshiko started mapping the victims' homes on a map of the area by their addresses.

"It forms a circle," Toshiko said, pointing at the screen. "This is a clear area of effect with a center point on this street."

"Which building?" Rose asked as she looked back down the street.

"I'm not sure," Toshiko said and she pointed to four buildings. "One of those, the data isn't exact enough for which one, but that is the right area."

Nodding, Rose climbed into the car next to Toshiko and closed the door. "Okay so it is not naturally occurring and has strange effects."

"Probably side effects," Toshiko added. "I doubt that anyone would try to do this on purpose. There doesn't seem to be a point." 

"What could the connection be though?" Rose asked with a frown as she rubbed her neck to loosen her muscles. Bringing her hand around to the front of her neck, Rose stopped and pressed against her throat for a moment.

"Rose," Tosh asked in surprise, "Are you alright?"

Pulling her hand away from her throat, Rose turned to Toshiko. "It is hard to talk when something is pressed to your voice box. In fact you can't talk if there is enough pressure in the right place. It also explains the victims. Women, younger people and elderly have less protection in their throats for their voice boxes.

"And pressure against glass will shatter it after a certain point," Toshiko said. "That's why the air seems off, something is vibrating the particles at an extreme rate and the molecules are putting access pressure on things around them. Not a lot, but over time it begins to have effects."

"But what could do that?" Rose asked. "I don't hear anything and animals aren't upset so it must be operating at a frequency beyond even animal senses, nothing on Earth could have these effects and be completely silent." Realizing what she said, Rose smiled. "Time to call the rest of UNIT."

"I'll call headquarters," Ross Jenkins said calmly from the front seat as he picked up his radio.

Nodding, Rose jumped out of the UNIT vehicle and headed back down the street. Behind her, she could already hear Jenkins calling the HQ for a mobile lab and soldiers to secure the area. Rose couldn't quite contain her smile as she headed back towards Malcolm. Yesterday she had been bored and today there was some technology in Croydon that certainly did not belong there and practically screamed alien. As she wandered the street in search of Malcolm, Rose examined the four building that Tosh said it might be originating from. Two of the buildings were office spaces, one was a banking branch and the other was a mix. The last two buildings were residential buildings and the taller one on the right had small balconies on the upper floors. Nothing about any of the buildings really stood out to Rose.

She glanced over her shoulder, the officers were still preventing people entry into the street and she couldn't blame the ones who were losing their tempers. Imagine not being able to enter your own home, but if Tosh was right about some piece of advanced technology in the area, long term exposure to it might do a lot worse than put pressure on the vocal cords. She found Malcolm examining the shattered glass of a small shop at the other end of the street.

"Ah Rose," he said brightly when he saw her. "I had a thought that this might have been caused by high frequency pulses vibrating the molecules around them." Malcolm paused as her amused smile. "I see you've come to the same conclusion." 

"Tosh is doing her research thing and Jenkins is calling HQ for support and the mobile lab unit," Rose said. "Toshiko thinks the source is in one of those buildings," Rose explained as she pointed to the four buildings.

"We need an evacuation of the area," Malcolm said firmly. "Something like this doesn't belong here and could cause a lot of damage. Blown blood cells in the brain or if it goes on too long structural damage to buildings beyond windows."

"Hopeful the General will agree," Rose said as they started walking back towards the transport. "Because I don't think this is going to be easy to convince those residential buildings to leave."

Malcolm grabbed Rose's arm and stilled her, "Rose listen."

Pausing, Rose did as he said and listened. Beyond the normal sounds of the city was the clear sound of thunder rolling and now that she was looking for it Rose could smell a storm. Malcolm was frowning and looking up into the sky. While it was a chilly December day, the sky was clear and blue.

"That's odd," Malcolm muttered.

"Could whatever is causing this have an impact on the weather?" Rose asked.

"Oh certainly," Malcolm said. "Accelerating molecules in the air will certainly lead to weather changes and nothing good for us."

"Alien then," Rose said looking up at the rapidly darkening sky. "What is it doing in Crydon of all places."

"Back to the transport Rose," Malcolm said. "Once the troops and lab get here we'll be able to find some answers." 

Rose didn't like it, but she allowed herself to be led back to the transport to wait for more UNIT staff to arrive. Naturally that didn't stop her and Malcolm from hunching over his and Toshiko's computers.

"Anything Tosh?" Rose asked.

"I've verified that there are no unusual power drains in the area," Toshiko said with a shrug. "So this is being done independent of the London power system." Toshiko paused. "The incidents are spreading beyond the original circle of effect. Not many, but two people from several blocks away from here were just admitted with the same strange loss of voice." Toshiko brought up a medical file. "According to the information I've gained from the hospital systems, their vocal cords are being compressed. The first people to be brought in are starting to recover now that they are out of the area." 

"That's something," Rose said. "But the effect is spreading."

"Possibly whatever is doing this is getting stronger," Malcolm said as he looked out the window and up at the clouds. "It might have been going on for days without any signs manifesting around it."

The darkening sky was lit up by a massive bolt of lightning, followed immediately by the crash of thunder.

"Storms right over us," Rose muttered with a glance out the window. "The General better get here quickly before this gets any worse."

"Yeah," Toshiko said weakly as she raised her hand to her throat and rubbed it. "Because I'm starting to wonder if this sore throat is real due to pressure on my throat or just in my head."

"Don't think about it," Malcolm advised. "Remember what the reports say, once a person leaves the area, the pressure eases." 

"Too much pressure for too long will cause permanent damage," Rose said. "We'll have to be careful." 

They didn't have too long of a wait, less than ten minutes later four UNIT trucks pulled up with a small lorry and passed the police barrier. There were few bystanders left with the weather so suddenly stormy. Rose climbed out of their transport with Malcolm and Toshiko to head for the lorry. This was a smaller lorry than the mobile command unit and opened into a small narrow lab full of computers, a few worktables and mountains of spare parts. Rose recognized Malcolm's touch at once. Quickly, Malcolm rushed to the main terminal and started switching on the sensors.

"Let's see what we can find out," Malcolm said as he rubbed his hands together. "Toshiko, link up your system so we can access your work."

Rose watched Toshiko and Malcolm for a moment before she climbed out of the lorry to watch Captain Magambo dividing the soldiers into groups to start searching the buildings in the area. Rose looked up at the storm and frowned. Whatever was happening was intensifying and quickly. Another lighting strike made her jump slightly and lit up the whole area. She saw Captain Magambo look up at the sky and frown deeply at the swirling clouds. Once the patrols had been given their orders, Magambo walked over to the Rose.

"Shall we see what Taylor and Sato have found out." 

"It won't be good," Rose said. "This isn't the purpose of whatever is happening." 

"You sound certain of that," Magambo said with a sharp look.

"Would you risk putting yourself through this for nothing?" Rose asked. "I'll bet this is a side effect of whatever is really happening."

They stepped into the mobile lab unit to find Toshiko frantically typing at one of the consoles and Malcolm up to his elbows in some new sensor array. Malcolm didn't even bother looking up and muttered, "Oh for a sonic screwdriver."

"I'm working on it," Toshiko replied without looking at him. "It takes a lot of time to balance out the frequencies in something like that so they do their job without killing the user."

Toshiko suddenly paused and turned around to face Malcolm, "That might buy us some time actually."

"What might?" Rose and Malcolm asked at the same time.

"Once you isolate what frequency this is at, perhaps Rose and I can get the sonic modulator to balance it out." 

"The sound waves will be brutal," Rose said.

"Yes, but if we can limit the acceleration of molecules in the air then we can at least avoid damage to the human body."

"How large can you make it?" Magambo asked.

"Not very," Toshiko replied. "We need to isolate the source, the closer I can get the modulator to whatever is causing this the better."

"You're saying we need to figure out exactly where this is coming from, finish building the sonic modulator, isolate the frequency of this thing and then balance it out with the sonic modulator before it starts killing people," Rose said with a wide eyes. She paused and sighed, "Well it is a stretch of a plan, but it is a start."

"Fine," Magambo said. "Tyler stay here and help Doctor Taylor with the sensor. Sato come with me. We need to get you back to your lab at HQ."

Toshiko nodded and looked back at Rose and Malcolm, "Stay safe both of you."

"We'll be careful," Malcolm promised. "I have no intention of running into the middle of potential alien activity." 

"You're not the one I'm worried about," Tosh said with a pointed look at Rose. "I mean it Rose, just be careful."

"I promise I'll be careful," Rose said. Toshiko relaxed and followed Magambo out of the lorry towards another vehicle for transport back to UNIT headquarters. Malcolm gave Rose and suspicious look. "I promised I'd be careful," Rose said. "I didn't promise that I wouldn't get into trouble. That really isn't something I can help." 

"Yes, I know," Malcolm sighed as he turned his attention back to his new machine.

"I'm jeopardy friendly," Rose defended with a frown.

"Yes Rose," Malcolm said, "Now give me a hand with this. I want to know exactly what kind of energy we are dealing with. Sooner we find that out, the sooner Tosh can put the plan into action."

"The plan is just to prevent damage," Rose said. "Nothing about how to actually stop this."

"We'll get to that when we can," Malcolm said. "But for now, no one is hurt and we've got time. Let's use it wisely." 

Rose considered pulling out her phone and calling the Doctor, but decided against it. Until she knew what they were dealing with, panicking seemed silly. And if she had been really really honest with herself, Rose would have admitted to liking dealing with these things without his help. She wasn't a dependent girlfriend and didn't need him to always save the day. Rose just really hoped that she wouldn't regret it later.


	19. Door of Destruction: Song in Her Head

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Nineteen: Song in Her Head

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: I'm sorry this chapter took so long, but I ended up having to completely rewrite the climax and ending of the episode after finding that the originally planned ending had a few problems with it and wasn't translating well at all. Hence I am sorry it took so long, but I was able to find a new and somewhat creative way to wrap it up. Fluff in the next chapter.

It only took an hour for things to get even worse in the area as the pressure in the air built and started causing serious problems. UNIT had been forced to move back more than a half a mile after two female soldiers lost their voices to the pressure in the air around them. Shortly after that large cracks began to appear in other materials throughout the area with metal slowly starting to warp and stone cracking. General Lethbridge-Stewart had arrived only to be forced to depart after his health took a turn for the worse. UNIT's medical team on site relieved the General of duty and ordered all staff over the age of fifty to stay clear of the area. This left Captain Magambo in charge of the situation as new trucks were brought into the areas that were designed to withstand more pressure.

Civilians had been ordered out of the area and no one was even worrying about a cover story as the pressure built, the storm intensified and everything they tried only failed. The only positive point to this was UNIT knew exactly where the machine was because one floor of the second tall residential building was still glowing with light. Toshiko had insisted that a separate power source would have to be in use for something this large which was quickly proven when power had been lost. Sadly, they simply couldn't get to it with people on foot without the pressure killing them. A missile strike had been suggested, but all indicators said that it would fail. Missiles were designed for going through the air, not trying to fly through pressures that were starting to match deep sea diving.

The science mobile lab had been moved far from the main action in order to keep the equipment working. Inside the mobile lab, Malcolm's normally jovial attitude was slipping away from frustration. He and Rose were running every test they could manage on the event occurring in the middle of Croydon, but were no closer to solving the problem. An hour later, Rose and Malcolm had isolated the energy wave causing the acceleration of the molecules within the air, but it wasn't something seen before on Earth. The energy wavelength was only theoretical and had a strange low key radiation that matched nothing on Earth. Rose had triple checked all machine readings when Malcolm refused to believe them. Nothing indicated that there was damage with the variety of scanners, computers, cameras of different sorts or readouts. Instead, all the evidence pointed to one very frightening conclusion. The energy wave causing all the problems was only getting worse and was multiplying roughly every twenty minutes.

Then Toshiko returned to the reinforced mobile lab with a large case containing the sonic modulator only another half an hour later. Taking it out of the case gently with both hands, Tosh set it on the worktable in front of Malcolm and Rose. It did not match the plans exactly as Toshiko had done a rush job on the improvements. The key issue was if it would work at the proper frequency to cancel out the energy wave causing all the trouble.

"Have you found the frequency?" Toshiko asked immediately as she began to unpack the sonic modulator with Rose's help.

"We have the energy wave," Malcolm said motioning Toshiko over to the computer. "But it isn't anything like we've seen before. Can you still set the modulator to counteract this?"

Toshiko moved beside Malcolm to examine the rapidly fluctuating energy wave. The main problem was not that it was unknown to them, but that it was extremely unstable. Toshiko would have to match the sonic modulator to counteract each variation of the energy wave.

"I'm not sure," Toshiko admitted after a long moment of examining the readouts on the screen. "This isn't like anything I've seen before. The variations would all have to be accounted for."

Rose leaned around Toshiko's shoulder to examine the wavelength of the energy band being produced by whatever it was up in the building. Toshiko and Malcolm started having a rapid conversation that Rose only understood part of. The general impression she got was that Toshiko was unsure if she could isolate the sonic modulator to the energy wave in order to cancel out the effect, at least in a small area. With the changes occurring irregularly, she would have to keep making adjustments, but she might not be able to do it.

"Can you focus the frequency?" Malcolm asked with slight alarm. "We can't shut that thing down if we can't get to it and the effects of it are making just blowing up the building impossible."

"I haven't worked that out yet," Toshiko said with slightly alarmed tone. "That was part of the point of rebuilding the sonic modulator! So that it could be controlled and adjusted, but those controls aren't finished yet!"

Rose listened to the frantic conversation with a growing concern and doubt. She understood the basics of Toshiko's machine and what Malcolm was saying, but she had no idea of how to actually make the thing work. Out of nervous habit, Rose reached up and clutched the items on the chain around her neck. Around her neck on the simple thick chain hung a biodamper, her TARDIS key and the old protective pendant that hadn't worked in years. She rubbed the small crystal of the pendant as she often did when trying to put things together. With a sigh of surrender, Rose pulled out her mobile and was about to hit number one on speed dial when Captain Magambo entered the mobile lab.

She was holding a phone in her hand and had an odd look of excitement, worry and fear on her normally stoic face. Holding the phone out towards Malcolm who was examining Tosh's sonic modulator, she said, "It's the Doctor."

"Oh we're fine in here," Malcolm said without looking away from the computer screen he and Tosh were examining. "We're far enough back that the structure is holding."

"It's The Doctor," Magambo stressed, holding the phone out.

"Oh," Malcolm said and then he blinked, "Oh yes of course." Malcolm gingerly took the phone and put it to his ear. His voice was excited and cheerful as he greeted the Doctor. Despite having met the Doctor once before, a bit of hero worship still remained in his voice. "Your voice is different," Malcolm said with a grin, "You've regenerated."

"Speakerphone please," Magambo said to Malcolm with a glance at Toshiko and Rose. "No secrets."

Malcolm nodded and switched the phone to speaker phone. "Doctor, we've got extreme energy waves pulsating from a building that are accelerating molecules in the air. Reports of structural damage in the area are pouring in, but we can't get close enough to destroy whatever is causing this."

"I know," The Doctor said through the speakerphone. Rose smiled and slipped her own mobile pack into her pocket, recognizing the voice of the brown-eyed Doctor. "Now just listen for a moment. What is happening is that a stranded alien criminal tried to build a wormhole to another planet. He miscalculated and sent the wormhole straight across the rift on Earth. That lovely rift in time and space caused it to destabilize due to the incompatible energy. The wormhole fell apart, but the equipment became locked due to faulty technology since it was built with Earth technology. The energy outpouring you're detecting is the wormhole machine stuck on a loop of creating, closing and collapsing an unstable wormhole. The alien fled and left the machine to destroy London, he's a nasty piece of work like that. If it goes on much longer the area of effect will become a lot larger and the effects will increase. The longer this goes on, the longer the effect is being multiplied."

"How do you know all this?" Malcolm asked with wide eyes and shock. "You're not around here are you?"

"It's complicated," the Doctor said with a sigh. "Timey-Wimey, Rose is standing next to you and she will tell me about it in the future so that I can call you and tell you what is happening."

Malcolm looked at Rose with wide and excited eyes, "A bootstrap paradox!" Malcolm cried with excitement, "We're in a self-fulfilling paradox!"

"Calm down Malcolm," Rose said, but a strange echo seemed to come through the phone. Blinking, Rose silenced herself and listened carefully for the strange echo again, but she heard nothing but a slight chuckle from the Doctor.

"Doctor Taylor," Magambo said sharply even as she gave Rose a curious glance. Of course the Doctor had confirmed that Rose would travel with him in the future so Rose understood the look very clearly.

"Oh right," Malcolm said recovering himself. "What can we do Doctor? We have a sonic modulator, but isolating the frequency so we can cancel out the effect long enough and on a large enough scale to destroy the cause of this is beyond us."

"Rose has what you need," the Doctor's voice replied with a touch of amusement.

"What?" Rose asked in surprise. "I don't understand."

"You're probably fiddling with it right now," the Doctor teased.

Frowning slightly as everyone turned to her, Rose looked down and noticed that her fingers were still playing with her pendant. It took a moment for Rose to process the meaning of the Doctor's comment. "Oh…" Rose said in understand. The Doctor meant her pendant. "But it doesn't work anymore."

"The pendant doesn't work," the Doctor agreed through the phone as Rose took off her necklace and unthreaded the pendant from her chain. "However, the crystal that makes up the core component of the pendant is designed to record and normalize energy readings and signals. That's why when the whole pendant was working you were kept safe. The rest of it is fried, but since you've already got a power source and a transmitter in the sonic modulator…" he trailed off meaningfully.

"We can use the crystal to create a stable energy frequency signature of disturbance which will let us program the sonic modulator to cancel it out," Malcolm said with excitement.

Toshiko gently took the pendant from Rose's hand and examined the crystal with a curious look. "This actually looks similar to the tip of the sonic screwdriver," Toshiko observed after a moment.

"Very similar," the Doctor replied, "Well done Tosh."

Toshiko flushed slightly at the praise and seemed about to ask a question before deciding against it. Probably how the Doctor knew her name, but the paradox already answered that question. Instead, Toshiko carefully pulled out some tools used for repairing sensitive computer equipment and began to remove the crystal. Rose wasn't quite sure of what to do as the Doctor continued to speak with Malcolm and Tosh for a few minutes, explaining what they needed to do. However, a few minutes later she was standing around the small work station with Toshiko and Malcolm helping them follow the Doctor's detailed directions for modifications.

"Now connect the crystal to the relay point and reconnect the wiring for the power source…" his instructions went on at a rapid pace with Malcolm repeatedly having Rose tell him to slow down and repeat.

"You'll never finish it if we have to keep stopping," the Doctor grumbled.

"Then why don't you come here?" Rose asked while Tosh and Malcolm used the moment of distraction on the Doctor's part to catch up.

"TARDIS can't materialize anywhere near that area," the Doctor responded with a sour tone. "Normally rift energy is fine, but the multiplying effect would overpower many of the controls."

"Alright then," Rose said and then she glanced at Tosh and Malcolm who nodded to her. "What next?"

Another chuckle from the Doctor made Rose smile softly and then he started throwing out instructions with an irritated and bored tone that Rose had never heard from him before. Vaguely in the background she heard another voice say something to him. "What was that Doctor?" Rose asked when he said something away from the phone.

"Oh nothing Rose, just talking to the older you," the Doctor said casually.

"What?" Rose asked with wide eyes.

"Circular paradox, Rose," Malcolm said with a chuckle. "We've finished connecting the crystal the main relay point Doctor," Malcolm said in a louder voice. "What next?"

"Brilliant," the Doctor said with a cheerful tone that Rose did recognize. "Alright now the next part is very very very simple put it outside for five minutes as close as you can get to the area of effect."

"Doctor please repeat," Toshiko said with a confused look. "Put it outside?"

"Well the crystal is hooked up to a power supply now so it just need a little time to record the energy wave pattern that's causing your little problem. Five minutes should be long enough."

Toshiko shrugged and carefully handed the device to Captain Magambo who headed for the door. Rose leaned to the side to see her giving it to one of the soldiers in a pressure suit. Turning her attention to the phone, Rose stared at it with mild shock. She wondered if this was before she vanished. That would mean that her older self was in the console room and knowing that her future was to vanish without explanation. She knew that the Doctor would then turn her younger self for comfort, a younger self that she could hear over the phone. It was the first time Rose really stopped to think about how it would actually feel to start a relationship she had already been in with the Doctor when she started traveling with him. It was the first time she wondered how she would manage living her life with the knowledge of how much it would hurt him. She had thought about the value of a life like that as opposed to staying on Earth and pretending it was enough for her, but she had never really considered how she would truly feel.

The loud sounds of the door being slammed open and Malcolm rushing across the room pulled Rose out of her thoughts. She heard Toshiko softly asking the Doctor questions about the sonic screwdriver and him giving teasing answers to her questions. Nothing detailed or exact certainly, but probably enough for Toshiko to make the next step towards a true sonic probe. Malcolm returned with the modulator and gently set it in front of them on the workstation. The crystal had been mounted at the front of the large structure. Instead of the dull blue color it had carried for years, the crystal now was glowing very softly with a familiar blue color. It strongly reminded Rose of the sonic screwdriver and she smiled as Toshiko examined it with an excited smile.

"Alright Doctor," Malcolm said to the phone. "The crystal is glowing slightly." 

"That means that it has acquired the information. Now Toshiko what you need to do is set the sonic modulator to transmit. I had you alter it to receive the energy signature and now you need to reverse it."

"Yes Doctor," Tosh said with a bit of nervousness and she looked up at Malcolm who gave her an encouraging smile. "I'm ready." 

The Doctor had the good sense to slow down his instructions now for Toshiko as he guided her wire by wire through what she needed to do. While Toshiko was doing that, Malcolm asked, "Doctor how do you know the sonic modulator so well?"

"I've got copies of the plans for this model of the modulator," the Doctor replied. "Got them in the future. Time Lord and timey-wimey remember."

"Ah," Malcolm said with a brief nod and slight shrug. He glanced at Rose and smiled widely, clearly amused by the odd situation he found himself in.

"Got it Doctor," Tosh announced a moment later.

"Brilliant Tosh!" The Doctor cheered. "Now the field you're going to get isn't huge, but you can use the modulator to get up into the building and switch the machine off. Don't worry, that part is simple. As I said the alien fled London so you don't need to worry about him, but Rose keep your eyes open for him. He goes by the name of Thane. Good luck."

The line went silent and Tosh gaped at the phone. "He hung up." 

"Well he does know how it is going to turn out," Rose said with a sheepish smile before she turned to Magambo who looked very uncomfortable with the situation. "Better get a patrol ready."

Captain Magambo to her credit merely nodded as Toshiko turned on the sonic modulator. Instead of the ear drum shattering noise, it produced a light if high pitched hum. Listening to it for too long would certainly produce a headache, but it wasn't going to kill anyone. A quick glance at the scanner made Malcolm give a cheer. "It's working, the pressure is dropping already around us."

"This isn't going to go easy," Tosh reminded him. "The pressure is still at the higher levels. It won't kill us right away, but we can't waste time. As we move, the energy wave with reverse what we do and the air isn't going to back to normal right away."

"But we have a chance," Malcolm reminded her before turning to Rose, "If I asked you to stay here and wait, would you?"

"Not a chance," Rose said crossing her arms.

"Alright then," Malcolm said with a sigh. "Toshiko I'd like you to come to make sure that the modulator functions properly. After all if it fails, our bodies will be destroyed by the pressure in far less time than it would take us to get back here."

"No pressure then," Tosh muttered.

Toshiko moved carefully out of the mobile unit to where a small group of soldiers, including Mickey were waiting for them. Rose helped her create a sling for the sonic modulator so she could watch it and still have her hands. Malcolm was looking up at the dark howling sky with a deep frown and then looked down at the small scanner unit he was using. It was a simple device used for only basic measurements, but it would help them pace their movements for safety. Captain Magambo was gearing the troops with safety equipment for the trip up the building. Collapse was a real threat so scaling the sides had been considered before it was decided that option was too dangerous. Instead the troops carried a variety of supplies in case they ran into trouble climbing up the seventh floor where the lights were still glowing bright.

Rose jumped as a bolt of lightning hit one of the nearby buildings and shook her head. The storm was ripping apart roofs in the area already and things were starting to crumble. A survival instinct was telling her to take Malcolm's offer and stay behind, but the curious part of her wanted to see what this machine looked like. That part won out, just like it normally did and Rose gave Captain Magambo a nod before she followed the soldiers who lead the way back towards the central point of the disturbance.

Walking the half mile back to the main center was a slow process as the sonic modulator could only alter the air around them back a more normal state at a slow pace. Malcolm's instruments showed the small bubble of safety that was slowly moving with them. When they finally arrived back at the center, it was growing late in the evening and Rose was grateful that Jackie wasn't expecting her adult daughter back anytime too soon. Of course her mum probably figured that Rose was out drinking with her mates and maybe flirting with some bloke, not about to climb through a building that was falling apart.

Their pace slowed and the soldiers brought out torches to give the group enough light to navigate up the stairs. This was a solid brick building built just after the bombings of World War Two which was holding up fairly well. Rose tried not to think too much about the cracks in the walls and the staircase that the soldiers led them towards. Rose looked over at Mickey and found him looking at her with a soft look. Nodding to her, Mickey gave her a small reassuring smile as they started to move up the stairs. Everyone stepped carefully, listening for any sound of shifting stone, but the sonic modulator was too loud for them to make out much of anything. They could have spoken, but everyone remained silent.

Rose sighed as the sign marking the seventh floor came into view. Finally after what seemed an hour of inching up the stairs with tension and fear radiating from everyone, they were on the right floor. Mickey motioned them to stay back as he eased the door open, his gun drawn. Rose rolled her eyes slightly; the Doctor had said that the alien had gone… Thane. She paused, he had mentioned that she should stay on the lookout for him. Of course his next self was going to say that about Apep and Rose hadn't seen that snake in two years.

"Rose," Mickey called gently to her.

Nodding, Rose moved forward through the doorway, followed by Malcolm and Toshiko. A loud thrumming noise with occasional sparking noises was now very loud. Combined with the hum of the sonic modulator it was a recipe for headaches. The UNIT soldiers carefully spread out and knocked in doors to check the floor flat by flat for anything else unusual as the group moved towards the source of the noise.

The area was chaos with large scale damage, pieces of the ceiling had fallen in and debris from walls, furniture and insulation littered the halls. The whole building seemed to sway due to the force of the storm outside and the pressure that was still trying to seep in and equalize the area. Rose glanced over her shoulder at Tosh who had one hand protectively on the sonic modulator and the other out against a wall to help her navigate the area. Finally they reached a doorway that was completely crumbling and the door lay in splintered pieces in front of them. Mickey and the other soldier, a woman named Anderson stopped and gaped into the room.

Light was spilling out of the room with a soft purple hint of color to it. Rose crept forward to look into the room. Despite herself, she gasped. In the center of the room was a large metal circle with wire connecting it to several advanced looking machines. Normally, Rose would have been fascinated by the technology of the power sources, but the unstable wormhole caught against the rift demanded her attention. There was a rippling surface within the metal circle. It was convulsing and swirling violently, throwing off different colors and flashes of light. Despite realizing what it was, Rose was captivated by it and stepped towards it. The sound of the machines, the sonic modulator and the storm outside faded away and a soft haunting tune began to echo in her head.

Everything fell away as she stared into the wormhole, mesmerized by it. The surface seemed to change before her eyes and then suddenly flickered away. Blinking, Rose stumbled backwards to be caught by Mickey.

"Easy Rose," Mickey said softly.

Looking around, Rose saw Tosh standing next to one of the power source machines and staring at Rose in concern. Malcolm quickly walked over to her from next to the wormhole machine and touched her face gently to make her look at him.

"Her eyes are normal," Malcolm said. "Rose how do you feel."

Gaping at now inactive wormhole machine, Rose said, "Confused."

"Do you remember anything after you came into the room?" Malcolm asked gently. "Anything at all?"

"No," Rose said as she looked around in confusion. The wormhole machine was off and Toshiko was slowly turning off the generators. Toshiko's sonic modulator was still thrumming at full force to keep dispelling the effects of Thane's machine. "I don't remember anything." 

"You froze," Mickey said gently. "I did too when I first saw that thing, but you didn't snap out of it. We actually worried about turning it off."

"I'm alright," Rose promised. "So everything is safe."

"Not exactly," Mickey said. "This building is in serious trouble, but the effects have lessened enough for UNIT to bring a helicopter in to get us and these machines out of here."

"A helicopter?" Rose asked, she could still hear the storm outside. It had lessened, but not dispersed. 

"Storm helicopter," Mickey said. "Should be fun."

"And then you are going to see a doctor," Malcolm said firmly. "Full evaluation and no arguments young lady."

Rose opened her mouth to argue, but thought better of it as she remembered the strange music she had heard in her head. An evaluation was probably a good idea and then a call to her Doctor.


	20. Door of Destruction: Terrified

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Twenty: Terrified

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Uh… this didn't turn out as fluffy as I thought it would. Emotional consequences spilled over into the fluff. You lot wanted more Ten so you've got to deal with it.

Rose Tyler was sore and tired with a large side of irritated that she was not doing a good job of hiding. After the team was evacuated from the area, Rose had been promptly shipped back to HQ to undergo a gauntlet of medical tests. After MRIs and blood tests with no results other than to indicate that she was healthy with super white blood cells, a fact she already knew, Rose's temper was at its limit. Doctor Helen Williams was a nice older doctor and she seemed to be picking up on Rose's irritability. Rose felt only a little better after eating something and changing back into her regular clothes, but she was waiting in the medical wing for clearance to go home. In the meantime she was bored and her hand kept creeping up to fiddle with her necklace only to find part of it missing which only served to irritate her even more.

"Hello Rose," Doctor Williams greeted as she walked into the small room where Rose was waiting. "I'm afraid we have no answers for what happened. Good news is that you have a clean bill of health and are completely human."

"What?" Rose asked with surprise.

Doctor Williams chuckled and said, "Rumors around UNIT have been that you might be part alien. I believe one rumor was that you are the granddaughter of the Doctor from the time he spent on Earth with UNIT." 

Rose blinked and laughed despite herself, "Seriously?"

"I'm afraid so," Doctor Williams said. "People kept trying to come up with reasons why you keep being pulled into alien incidents and meeting the Doctor."

"Oh," Rose said with a slight flush as she hoped off the bed. "So can I go home?"

"I've called a car for you, I'd rather you didn't drive for at least 24 hours in case you start to feel side effects. If you feel at all ill please contact me right away."

"I will," Rose promised. "I guess I'll get my bike later."

"No need," Mickey said as he walked into the small room. He grinned at her, "Ross is driving you home so I can follow on your bike." 

Rose couldn't quiet stop the words in time, "You're what?"

"Come on Rose," Mickey said giving her a slight puppy dog look. "I'll drop your bike off and ride back to HQ with Ross. You'll be home safe and sound without driving and your bike will be there in the morning."

"You don't have a motorcycle license," Rose said triumphantly.

"Actually I do," Mickey said crossing his arms with a smirk.

"UNIT requires privates to be able to drive anything," Doctor Williams said, not even trying to hide her smile.

"Don't you trust me Rose?" Mickey asked.

Rose sighed, she couldn't win. "Fine Mickey, but one scratch and I'll get you back."

"Yes, I know you have blackmail material," Mickey said and he held out his hand. "Keys."

Rose handed the keys over with an exaggerated sigh and followed Mickey down to the parking garage. Private Ross Jenkins watched Mickey happily twirl the keys as Rose glared at him and laughed. "He'll be fine Miss Tyler," Private Jenkins said.

"Maybe," Rose said as she climbed into the car. "You can call me Rose you know. Miss Tyler gets old."

"Seatbelt please Rose," Jenkins replied calmly. Rose smiled and did as he asked before looking out the back window to watch Mickey happily revving up her bike. Sighing, Rose turned forward again as Ross started the car and pulled the car out into the drive.

The lights were still on when Rose arrived home so Ross dropped her off at the corner and she walked her motorcycle up the drive. Mickey gave her a grin and jumped into the car with Ross which quickly turned around and headed back into town. Shaking her head slightly, Rose put her motorcycle up the drive and pulled her keys out of her bag. There were multiple voices coming from the kitchen. Rose recognized her mum's, Rita-Anne's and Gita Chandra's. Quickly, she popped her head into the kitchen and greeted her mother before going upstairs to shower and change clothes.

Once she had cleaned up, Rose retreated to her room and called Sharon and Shireen who fortunately were both at their flat. She told them about her day and mainly focused on the odd conversation with the Doctor over the phone and the strange reaction to the wormhole. Of course she explained that it hadn't been a stable wormhole and instead the Doctor had described it as a loop of creating, closing and collapsing an unstable wormhole which meant very little to Sharon or Shireen beyond that it sounded strange and dangerous. The phone conversation had ended calmly and Rose had tossed her phone back on her desk. Taking her journal from its place on the shelf, Rose began the entry of this latest adventure while sprawled out on her bed. She recorded of course the key aspects of the alien adventure, making notes of Thane's name and the conversation between the Doctor, Malcolm and Tosh. She found herself still reaching for her pendant, only to sigh at the loss of it. Lastly, Rose wrote down her concerns and questions, mainly her belief that this occurred in the Doctor's time line before she vanished.

Closing the journal, Rose put it on her night table and curled up on her bed. As the events of the day sank in, Rose found the doubts and fears within her gnawing harder than ever. She closed her eyes and tried to force the thoughts away. Even if she hadn't understood fully what it would really mean to live her life like this, she had decided upon it. No one had forced her and she had no one else to blame, but herself. At some point she fell asleep, still clothed.

Clicking sounds pulled Rose from sleep. Her eyelids fluttered open and she opened her eyes to the dark room. Her light had been switched off and a blanket had been draped over her, probably by her mother. Pushing back the blanket, Rose sat up, still clothed and listened to the strange sound. The click came again and Rose looked towards the source of the noise, her window. Still half asleep she blinked at the window in confusion. Then there was another click and Rose's mind finally caught up to the fact that someone was throwing pebbles at her window.

Climbing out of bed, Rose moved quickly to the window and opened the latch. Carefully in case another rock was coming, she eased the window open. Her window looked out into the back garden of the house and Rose couldn't help but smile at the sight that awaited her. The TARDIS was parked in the middle of the garden on the lawn, the light on top giving some illumination. The Doctor with the lovely brown eyes, trench coat and great hair was standing close by and tossing a pebble in his right hand up and down. A huge grin took over his face as Rose appeared smiling in her window.

"But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!

Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon; who is already sick and pale with grief that thou her maid art far more fair than she," the Doctor said with a silly grin and overly dramatically.

Rose couldn't contain a giggle and her smile grew wider. Recovering, she tilted her head. "Usually the boys try a rose by any other name would smell as sweet first."

"Well," the Doctor shrugged. "Can't use the normal line can I?"

"What are you doing here?" Rose asked, trying to calm her fluttering heart down as she smiled down at him.

"TARDIS picked up odd energy readings and I was just… checking."

"I'm fine," Rose told him. "I'll be right down, don't want to wake mum."

"Definitely don't want that," the Doctor said, nodding. "I like Jackie best when she's asleep."

Rose latched the window and took a breath to center herself. Every time he appeared she turned into a silly romantic girl and felt foolish for it while feeling happy that the attention. Pulling her shoes on, Rose found herself wondering again about how she was going to keep managing this relationship. Of course it was already a mess. He was in love with her and had no problem telling her so while she… well she didn't have her feelings sorted out yet. Every time she thought that maybe she did, a small voice in her head suggested that maybe she was just in love with love or the idea of him being in love with her or just in love with the idea of him. Shaking her head, Rose forced the thoughts from her mind and grabbed her leather coat and keys. Slipping past her mother and Rita-Anne's rooms, Rose quietly walked downstairs and out the back door into the garden.

The night air was cold and Rose hadn't bothered to see what time it was. Yet, the TARDIS doors had been opened for her by the Doctor, casting a warm light through the garden. He was leaning against the doorway with his hands in his pockets looking a touch nervous as he often did when he came to see her. Certainly he put on a confident show, but Rose knew him well enough to know that it was just a show. Smiling, Rose walked forward to the TARDIS and held out a hand to him. Quickly, the Doctor took it and their fingers fell into place together. Comforted by the simple gesture, Rose stepped closer and leaned up to gently kiss the Doctor's lips. He accepted the gesture of affection happily, but let her control the kiss. Rose kept it brief, just a soft brush of her lips to his before she leaned back.

"Hi," Rose said with a warm smile.

"Hello," the Doctor said, squeezing her hand. "How are you?" 

"I'm fine," Rose assured him. "Long day of course, but I'm alright."

"Long day?" the Doctor questioned with a slight frown. "So you did have something to do with that odd energy occurrence. What was today?" 

"The unstable wormhole," Rose said. "The time you called with information for UNIT."

The Doctor quickly shook his head, "Hasn't happened to me yet."

"What?" Rose asked, blinking in surprise. She had been sure from her presence on the TARDIS during the phone call that it was her future and his past. "But I was there, I even heard myself at one point."

"Are you certain?" the Doctor asked. His eyes were wide and he was staring at her intently.

"I told Malcolm to calm down," Rose said her emotions mixed up. "And there was an echo through the phone and then later you said, uh will say that I'm there." She paused, "That means that when I come back you're calm and casual!" Rose smacked his shoulder, "You bast-"

The Doctor grabbed her and hauled her against his body. He kissed her hard and pushed her against the side of the TARDIS, never breaking contact with her lips. Moaning, Rose lost all sense of time and her confusion about the Doctor simply blinked out existence. He plundered her mouth, kissing her more deeply and possessively than he ever had before. Then suddenly, the Doctor pulled back from her, ignoring Rose's unintentional whimper of protest. Forcing her eyes open, Rose panted softly as the Doctor stared at her. His brown eyes were dark with a mixture of emotions flickering through them too quickly for Rose to decode.

"Believe me Rose," the Doctor said in a low voice. "When I get you back in our future we will be anything but casual."

Rose nodded quickly. The Doctor was still leaning on his arms which were placed on either side of her. "I'm sorry," Rose said softly, forcing herself to look him in the eye. "I just… it's hard."

The Doctor replied silent, letting her speak. He dropped his arms from around her and took her hand in his, but remained close to her.

"I wonder how I'll manage," Rose said softly, letting her eyes drop away from his. "The last you asked me to travel with him, but I already know what we'll be in the future. How do I go from what is between us now to what it was before to you? How do I live my life with the complicated time lines without damaging them. Worse, I know that something bad happens down the line. I know that you'll then turn to me when I'm younger… but what happens to me?"

"I don't know," the Doctor said very softly.

"I'm frightened," Rose said, admitting it honestly for the first time. "I'm terrified."

"Rose," the Doctor whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I never should put you in this position." The Doctor leaned against her, hugging her tightly. "I'm such a selfish old man that was terrified of facing the silence of the TARDIS without you in it."

Rose bit her lip to keep from crying as she hugged him back. "Time can be rewritten," Rose whispered. "But I didn't and I won't." She pulled away enough to look up at him. "Walking away to the unknown scares me even more."

"You might be happy," the Doctor said.

"I might," Rose said. "But I know I will be with you." She shook her head and leaned against his chest, welcoming his arms around her. "Stupid that it bothers me. I know I want my life with you, but it still scares me because of the consequences just waiting for me."

"If it makes you feel any better," the Doctor said into her ear, "What I feel for you still scares me even after all this time."

Rose smiled and took a shaky breath, "That actually does make me feel a little better."

He smiled at her, that warm and loving smile that made her knees feel weak and leaned down to gently kiss her. Rose relaxed against him and slid her right hand into his great hair. He moaned softly at the action, pleasing Rose greatly. This kiss was slow and deep. It shook Rose deeply and eased some of the fear that had been building up inside of her for months. The Doctor released her lips only for a moment to let her take a quick gasp of air before he pulled her back to him again, twisting his fingers in her long dark blonde hair. Rose slowed the kiss down and slowly pulled back from him. She flushed at the way he was looking at her, but the Doctor seeing her discomfort swallowed.

"Well then," the Doctor said pleasantly, putting his hands back into his pockets and rocking on his feet slightly. "How about a trip?" 

"Now?" Rose asked in surprise, but she looked into the TARDIS with a smile. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well you love art so how about Leonardo da Vinci's last supper before his experimental plaster and paint method caused it to decay, brand new and just finished by da Vinci himself."

Rose couldn't quite contain a squeal, at which the Doctor laughed. "Is that a yes then?"

"You'll have me back tonight," Rose asked with a glance back at the house.

"Of course," the Doctor said. "I'm a Time Lord! I can manage that."

Rose smirked and walked into the TARDIS. "Well I suppose I can let you try, but I know Ian and Barbara," Rose teased looking back over her shoulder.

"I've gotten much better at flying the TARDIS," the Doctor defended as he tossed his coat over the railing and dashed up the controls. "Just wait Rose Tyler, you will be in awe."

"Well then Doctor," Rose said leaning forward. "Impress me."


	21. The Christmas Trap: Christmas Shopping

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Twenty-One: Christmas Shopping

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Welcome to the start of the Christmas episode for my first full season of Guardians of the Universe. This episode has been cleaned up and parts of it redone as it was the only episode in this season that I wasn't pleased with.

Rose Tyler was sitting in a small café in the middle of London on December 23rd with her mates Sharon Allen and Shireen Bell who lived nearby. Her long blonde hair was hanging loose past her shoulders and was showing the effects of less sunlight. Rose's roots were brown in color while the tips of her hair retained the glow of the summer sun for the time being. A simple headband kept the hair out of her face while Rose calmly sipped her hot chocolate and watched the people rushing around. Her left hand played the chain around her neck absentmindedly. She had gotten used to the lighter weight of the chain which only carried her TARDIS key and biodamper. Toshiko had promised to return the crystal to her so she could fix the pendant, but Rose knew that would Tosh would need months to study the molecular structure of the crystal. For now, Rose had the rest of pendant tucked away with her journal and Eve's letter. Christmas music filled the small café and a chilly wind entered the place whenever a shopper swung the door open.

"I've still got to find something for Dad," Sharon said with a frown glancing back at out the crowded streets. "I can never sort out what to buy him and I've been waiting for inspiration."

"Really I got all of my presents two weeks ago," Shireen said. "Mind you Mum made it easy this year." Seeing that Rose wasn't really paying attention, Shireen asked, "How about you Rose?" 

"Hmm?" Rose asked in confusion, turning at the sound of her name.

"Have you gotten all your presents picked out?" Shireen asked with a small smile. "Tomorrow's Christmas Eve after all."

"Not yet," Rose said. "I'm trying to find something for Sarah Jane."

"Really?" Sharon asked. "You're getting her a present?" 

"Yes," Rose nodded. "I'm having dinner with her and the Chestertons, tonight. Sarah Jane seems to like having interactions with other people who know the Doctor. Ian and Barbara are in town for Christmas with Johnny. A get together was Barbara's idea."

"So are things still awkward with Sarah Jane?" Shireen asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," Rose said with a tired sigh. "I like her and I think she does actually like me, but I get the feeling I represent something painful to her. Whenever I'm with her I get this feeling that she's measuring me up and… oh I don't know."

"Sounds like she's never really moved on with her life," Shireen said before taking a sip of her coca. "I suspect the fact that you will travel with the Doctor makes her feel like she was replaced. Plus the fact you see him so much bothers her certainly."

"Can't blame her," Sharon said, leaning on her hand. "Your boyfriend didn't exactly make things easy on her by the sound of it."

"Humans weren't allowed on Gallifrey then," Rose said with a shrug, "And he was summoned back to Gallifrey so he had to leave her behind. He did try to get her home and said goodbye to her. The Doctor just doesn't look back most of the time; I'm the exception rather than the rule."

"It doesn't bother you at all?" Sharon asked with wide eyes. "Not at all?"

Shireen frowned a little and nodded in agreement with Sharon, turning to her eyes to the blonde. "Rose?" 

"He isn't human," Rose said softly. "I've understood that since I was a kid. He may look human and act like it sometimes, but he really isn't. It bothers me a little, but the Doctor does not react to things the way we'd think a human should. I can't try to hold him to being human because he isn't. Instead I have to try and be calm and explain to him what I'm feeling and how things impact me because he just simply doesn't perceive things that way. He's trying to understand my human emotions so I try to understand his nonhuman emotions."

"Bit harsh," Shireen remarked with a raise eyebrow. "You seem to be sorting things out, but are you really okay with that?" 

"Yes," Rose said with a slight smile. "It gets a little easier and things become clearer each time I see him. But either I accept the reality of what being in a relationship with a Time Lord means or I end the relationship. Since I want him in my life that means accepting meetings out of order, the fact that he'll change his face and personality and the fact that he doesn't react to things the same way I do."

"Still," Sharon said. "That's hardly a normal human relationship." 

"At this point, I wouldn't know what to do with a normal human relationship," Rose said with a laugh. She paused and looked down into her drink before she added, "I mean he is the only real relationship I've ever actually had. I went on a few dates with boys at the council flats, but…" Rose trailed off and shrugged. "Plus I'd be in the same boat as Sarah Jane, wondering who I could ever meet and honestly talk to about my life."

"You'll always have us," Shireen reminded her, "But I can see your point. You at least had us from the age of fourteen on that you could talk to about aliens. Ian and Barbara had each other, but Sarah Jane didn't really have anyone. That had to be difficult when adjusting back to normal life."

"Hence my trying to nice and patient," Rose said. "Sadly patience isn't really one of my virtues." Rose glanced down at her watch, "Speaking of which I should get back out there and finish said Christmas shopping."

"Want company?" Sharon asked cheerfully.

"Thanks Sharon, but I know you both have a lot to do and I'm avoiding the house."

"Is Jackie still in Christmas party preparation mode?" Sharon asked with a teasing smile. 

"Yeah," Rose said with a grimace. "You thought the parties at the estate were bad, this is going to be even worse since Mum now has a real budget for it and space in the house. For a party on Christmas Eve there are a lot of people coming."

"So we can expect Jackie to be drunk and flirting with police officers before the nights out," Shireen said. "Thanks for the warning." 

"She's already done that," Sharon reminded Shireen. "Christmas 2002. I suppose the only step up would be to get the Tyler's exiled from Bannerman Road."

"Oh shut it," Rose said even as she fought to contain her smile. She pulled on the new cream trench coat she had gotten for winter and smiled at her friends. "I'll see you two tomorrow night."

"Love you honey," Sharon said, standing up to hug Rose.

"See you tomorrow," Shireen added.

They watched Rose in silence for a moment as she maneuvered her way to the door. Shireen leaned on her hand and tapped her fingers on the table thoughtfully.

"You've got that look again," Sharon observed as she leaned back in her chair.

"What look?" Shireen asked with a glance over at her friend.

"That I'm analyzing my best friend because I'm worried about something look," Sharon supplied with a raised eyebrow. At Shireen's surprised look, Sharon shrugged and added, "I may not be studying psychologically, but we've been friends for a long time. What's wrong?"

"I'm worried about her," Shireen said with a slight sigh.

"She seems fine to me," Sharon said. "A bit tense, but that is probably the holidays and worrying about how much damage Jackie is going to do."

"I just… Rose is fine on the surface, but it seems now like she's saying the right things without really…" Shireen shook her head.

"She can handle alien invasion and dating in a temporal out-of-synch relationship," Sharon said with a smile. "I think she can handle her day-to-day life."

"It's the day-to-day life bit that worries me," Shireen said with a frown at the doorway.

Rose stepped out onto the street and tightened the sash of her coat against the chill. The whole street was busy with shoppers still and people were moving through the large crowd with packages and bags. Picking a random direction, Rose noted her location, and started glancing into store windows. She had no idea what she was looking for, but it was still early afternoon and she wasn't in a hurry to head home.

Rose had been wandering for over an hour when a strange little shop tucked between a pub and music shop caught her eye. The letters on the window were faded and it simply said 'The Shop.' Curious, Rose crossed the street and looked in through the window. The display had a number of strange trinkets and odd little pieces of pottery. Deciding it looked like an interesting place to take a peek; Rose opened the door and stepped inside.

The shop was dim with stained glass lamps and old fashioned lanterns lighting the space. The tall ceiling was awash in colors from the stained glass and Rose could see dust floating the in air giving the whole place a strange lost and out of time feel. Rose closed the door behind her and stepped fully into the shop. The layout was strange with tall wooden book shelves reaching up to the ceiling and small antique wood tables held more odds and ends. Books were stacked on the shelves and tables around small statues, pots, knick knacks of every sort and things that Rose couldn't identify. Opening her coat, Rose smiled and started carefully navigating her way through the narrow aisles.

Rose wasn't looking for anything particular and hoped that something would catch her eye soon. While there were many interesting looking objects, nothing really spoke to her as a gift for Sarah Jane Smith.

"Hello young lady," a smooth accented male voice said from behind Rose. She turned quickly, surprised by the sudden voice and knocked a small statue with her elbow. A strange dark hand reached out and caught it. "Careful," the voice said. "We don't want any damage do we?"

"I'm sorry," Rose said as she looked to examine the person.

He was a tall dark skinned man wearing a strange and elaborate suit coat with paisley patterns. His waistcoat was neatly buttoned and of a slightly different paisley pattern. On top of his head he wore a short rounded cap, Rose thought it might be called a kufi or maybe a taqiyah, with a large gold tassel hanging to the side. The man made for a strange picture, but he was giving Rose a kind and patient smile.

"Is there anything I can help you find young lady?"

"I'm not really looking for anything," Rose said, but the man tilted his head curiously and Rose smiled. "Well I don't have anything specific in mind, but I'm trying to find a gift for Christmas."

"I see," the man said. "Well perhaps I can help you. My shop stocks the strange, odd and different so if you haven't thought of anything yet I believe you've stumbled on the right place." The man turned, motioning for Rose to follow him deeper into the store.

Rose followed him after a moment of hesitation; this seemed like a scene out of a fantasy book or television show where everything was over the top and strange. Instead of leaving, her curiosity compelled her to follow him. He led her back through an archway and into another section of the store. This area was cleaner and had more light due to a high round window. Rose looked up at it and blinked in surprise. It was a stained glass window with the profile of a golden howling wolf.

"Lovely isn't it," the man remarked with a chuckle. "I do so love this building. It has so much character." 

"Yes it does," Rose said trying to keep her voice even. "I've never seen a window with a wolf in it before."

"Stained glass is usually reserved for religious subjects or pretty flowers," the shopkeeper replied with a shrug. "I suppose that is why I like that window. It isn't normal or standard." The shopkeeper walked around a wooden counter with an antique register and then leaned forward with a smile. "Now then, tell me a bit about your friend."

"Well Sarah Jane is older than me," Rose said. "We met because of a mutual friend, but we haven't known each other long."

"But you feel the need to give her something for Christmas," the man said with an understanding nod. "Something special and different to demonstrate that you're making an effort to be her friend."

"I suppose so," Rose replied. She felt very young and bit silly around this man. He just seemed… so not wise exactly, but highly aware. It seemed like he just knew exactly what was going through her head.

"Let me see," the man said as he pulled out a large old leather bound book and set it gently on an old wooden book holder. He opened it gently and began to thumb through the pages. "No, not that," he muttered to himself as he looked down entries in the book. Rose blinked in confusion at the old fashioned way of keeping inventory, but stepped back to look around this small space. The counter and register dominated the room, just under the round wolf window. Behind the counter were a few tall bookshelves with more random items on them. "Ah this should do nicely," the man said suddenly. He smile had widened into a grin and he once again motioned for Rose to follow him.

Leading her back out into the main room, the shopkeeper wove around the small tables with ease until he came to a table tucked back in a corner. Gently, the shopkeeper picked up a lovely dark wooden box with cravings on it. He opened the box and carefully lifted out a brooch. Rose gasped softly at it. The design was almost Celtic, creating a flowing small circle of shapes in a rich blue color. The design was soothing and gorgeous, unlike anything Rose had ever seen before. The movement in the piece was stunning and it reminded Rose a bit of water and tears.

"This represents change and acceptance," the shopkeeper said gently. "Plus it is very lovely. I'll give you a good price for it."

Rose chuckled at the first normal thing the man had said and nodded her head. He handed her the brooch and she examined it carefully. It was perfect. She couldn't put her finger on why it was perfect for Sarah Jane, but she could already imagine the woman wearing the brooch and smiling. It was odd because the smile she was imagining was one completely at ease and happy, a look that Rose had never seen on the older woman.

The shopkeeper nodded calmly. "Thirty pounds young lady," he said. "I will wrap it up for you."

Nodding again, Rose was a touch surprised at the low price, but wasn't about to argue. The shopkeeper gently took the brooch from her hand and smiled when the metal glowed slightly, but Rose didn't notice. She glanced around the corner to see if anything else caught her eye before she started walking to the back room. Rose was brushing past a small light weight bookshelf when one of the books tumbled off of the shelf and right into her hands. Startled, Rose quickly used her right hand to steady the small bookshelf while keeping hold of the book in her left. Once she was satisfied that nothing else was going to fall, Rose looked at the book in her hand and gasped.

The book leather bound with golden trim on the edge and it had a rose embossed on the front. This book looked exactly like her journal, except it was branch new. Rose gently touched the embossed rose, taking in every detail of the book. Then she opened the book and flipped through the pristine white pages that were just waiting to be filled. In her eyes mind she could see her drawings of the Doctor in his various forms and the aliens that were in her journal. Rose snapped the journal shut and took a deep breath. This was her journal, just not yet.

"Young lady?" the shopkeeper called from the back room. "Are you alright?" 

"Coming," Rose said as she forced herself forward. Stepping into the back room where the shopkeeper waited, Rose smiled and held up the journal. "Found something else too."

"Excellent," the shopkeeper said as he took the journal from her. "I am glad these items are heading to their proper places."

Rose was a touch surprised at his odd sentiment, but smiled as she paid. He wrapped the journal up in the same brown paper that he had wrapped the brooch in. The shopkeeper put the items into a simple paper bag and handed it to Rose. "Happy Christmas young lady."

"Thank you," Rose said. "Happy holidays to you."

Rose carefully left the shop and stepped back out into the chilly afternoon. Turning to look over her shoulder, she examined the building for a moment before shrugging off her odd feeling of déjà vu. Glancing down at her watch, Rose decided it was time to head back home and finish wrapping presents.

She arrived home just after dark and quickly climbed up the stairs to her bedroom to avoid her Mum and Rita Anne who were in the kitchen. Peeling off her coat, Rose tossed it over the back of her desk chair and toed out of her shoes. She placed the bag with her purchases on the bed and then picked up a box with her present supplies and placed it on the bed. Rose picked up the package with the brooch and gently unwrapped the common brown paper. The brooch shimmered in her hand as she adjusted it under the light with a smile. The effect of the light sliding along the smooth blue metal was almost hypnotizing.

"This is perfect," Rose said to herself. "I'm sure Sarah Jane will love it."

"Rose!" Her mother's voice called from downstairs.

"Coming!" Rose called back.

She set the brooch back onto her duvet gently and turned back to the doorway. Rose quickly slipped her feet into a pair of trainers before she went off to the kitchen. Behind her, the brooch began to glow again, this time more intensely the metal turning red where Rose's fingers had touched it, making her fingerprints visible. The effect only lasted for a moment before glow eased and the brooch returned to normal.

Three hours later, Rose was slowly sipping a glass of wine as she sat in Sarah Jane's living room waiting for Ian and Barbara to arrive. Sarah Jane herself was in the kitchen, having refused Rose's help as she worked on dinner. Sighing softly, Rose stood up and moved around the room. Sarah Jane's home was full of pictures on the wall and framed articles that she had written. A tall bookshelf reminded Rose very much of her own with a variety of subjects, except Sarah Jane's were carefully organized by subject and author. Other shelves held mementos of travels on Earth with pieces from Peru, China and Africa.

When the doorbell rang, Rose called to Sarah Jane that she would get the door for her. Practically rushing to the front door, Rose grinned in relief at the sight of Ian and Barbara. To Rose's surprise their son Johnny was standing with them and gave Rose a wide smile. Johnny Chesterton was slightly taller than his father with the same dark hair. His features were slightly more refined like his mother's, but he had a warm boyish smile. Overall he was a very attractive man in his mid-forties that had the misfortune of having parents that looked more like his siblings than his parents.

"Hello Johnny," Rose greeted. "I'm surprised to see you."

"I called Sarah Jane," Barbara said to Rose. "Don't worry."

Rose raised an eyebrow and looked back to Johnny as he hung up his parents' coats on the hooks by Sarah Jane's front door. Johnny shrugged and responded, "I wanted to meet someone else who proves my parents aren't insane."

"Don't I count?" Rose asked with a raised eyebrow.

Johnny smirked and looked back at Rose. "I'm not sure you could qualify as sane yourself Rose."

Chuckling at his remark, Rose led them into Sarah Jane's living room just in time to meet their host walking out from the kitchen. Sarah Jane was dressed in dark blue jeans with a long sleeved white shirt on under a neat black waistcoat. It was a good look for her and made her look even younger.

"Sarah Jane this is our son John," Barbara said warmly.

Johnny smiled warmly at Sarah Jane, "Everyone just calls me Johnny."

"I see," Sarah Jane said a touch nervously. "Welcome. I'm glad you could join us." 

"Thank you for having me," Johnny said sincerely. "Growing up I often wondered about the Doctor and aliens. For me it has been amazing meeting people who share my parents' experiences."

Sarah Jane smiled much more openly now, allowing Rose to relax and in the corner of her eye she saw Barbara and Ian both let out a sigh of relief. A timer in the kitchen alerted Sarah Jane to something being finished and she quickly excused herself from the room. Barbara and Ian unpacked their bag with a few small presents onto the coffee table. Rose's own gifts were there, all wrapped neatly in paper that was as close to the color of the TARDIS as she could manage. Judging from the chuckle and look from Ian, he caught the connection.

Since Sarah Jane was moving between rooms, they kept the conversation casual with Rose and Johnny talking about Mister Spock. Ever since Rose had shown him the new interface plans, Johnny had been a huge help to her in getting parts and figuring out the best method for cooling such a machine. Fortunately they hadn't brought any information or blueprints to this get together or Barbara would have had their heads. Rose was grateful when dinner was served and the group could include Sarah Jane more in the conversations.

Johnny was charming, asking Sarah Jane about her own experiences with aliens, but also asking her about a recent article that she had written. Sarah Jane was clearly pleased with Johnny's honest interest and seemed to be starting to relax. Glancing over at Barbara, Rose noticed the odd interested look on Barbara's face. Blinking, Rose looked back at Johnny and nearly laughed as she realized that the younger Chesterton was interested in Miss Smith. As the evening wore on, Sarah Jane was clearly becoming uncomfortable with the attention again and they moved back to the living room to open presents. Rose just couldn't get a read on the older woman. She seemed honestly happy to have people making an effort to befriend her, but uneasy at it. Perhaps, Rose decided, it was just a sign of how long it had been since Sarah Jane was really truly close to anyone.

Ian happily took on the role of Santa and took charge over the small stack of presents. Slowly the presents were given around and everyone unwrapped their gifts. Rose ended up with a book of history timelines from Barbara that was the women's latest attempt putting some historical knowledge into Rose's head. Ian had given her an excellent nice set of brushes. All the presents were simple, but a nice gesture with Sarah Jane getting a lovely ink and quill set from the Chesterton's. Things almost stopped when Sarah Jane unwrapped the small circular brooch that Rose had bought for her.

"Rose," Sarah Jane said softly, "This is lovely."

"I just found it today," Rose admitted. "I found this odd little shop full of strange odds and ends."

"It is beautiful," Barbara said. "Put it on Sarah Jane, it is good color for you."

Sarah Jane did as Barbara bid and carefully pinned the brooch onto the right side of her waist coat. It was good color for Sarah Jane and Barbara turned to Rose, insisting to know the shop's location. Rose smiled in relief at the clear success of the gift and told Barbara the shop's location. Everyone was so distracted that no one noticed that faint glimmer of light that shined from within the brooch for a brief moment, Rose's fingerprints glowing once again.


	22. The Christmas Trap: Wolf Window

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Twenty-Two: Wolf Window

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: The second part of the Christmas Trap, this episode is being redone with some additional scenes to get it more in line with what I originally wanted.

Christmas Eve morning began with a shining purple sky as the sun slowly rose over London and the surrounding areas. Rose looked out the large window next to the dining table out at the garden. The warm light of the rising sun made the garden look a bit better, but Rose dearly wished that they could have had some snow for Christmas. Upstairs she could hear Jackie starting to move around. Their lives in the busy and noisy council flats meant that neither of them slept late very often. Setting her cup of tea to the side, Rose stood up and straightened her light blue dressing gown before she set to work on breakfast.

Smiling, Jackie entered the kitchen with her pink dressing gown on and her fuzzy slippers still on. "Morning sweetheart," Jackie greeted, giving Rose a quick kiss on the cheek and then snatching muffin from a plate.

Rose just smiled and shook her head. Rita-Anne joined them a few minutes later, already dressed for the day and shaking her head at the two Tyler women. Breakfast was an energetic affair as Jackie pulled out her list of last minute things she had thought of for the party. Rose remained shocked at how many people would come to a party on Christmas Eve, but most of the neighborhood was coming and several old friends. After finishing the cleanup, Rose slipped upstairs to get out of Jackie and Rita-Anne's way. Despite what they thought, everything was fine. Most of the food had been prepared by Jackie or Rose the morning before and just needed to be set out. The tall full tree Jackie had purchased was just waiting for trimming at the party and party favors were ready to go.

Once she was dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans, the soft cashmere white sweater Sarah Jane had given her last night and her boots, Rose grabbed her wallet and keys. Rose pulled on her trench coat and said a quick goodbye to her mother and Rita-Anne. She paused in the drive and looked over at the blue jeep that she had bought last week, but decided to start off with a walk. She really didn't have anything to worry about for a few hours as Jackie didn't need her yet. Frankly, the house was starting to feel too small and too busy so Rose found the idea of just walking around the neighborhood attractive.

After a moment of consideration, Rose started towards Sarah Jane's house just down the street. The woman had never confirmed that she was coming to the party tonight despite being invited. Rose hoped that last night might encourage Sarah Jane to be more social with her neighbors and stop pushing them away. Sarah Jane's tall brick house dominated the lot with a small garden in front and behind the house. The journalist's car was parked in front of the house so Rose walked up to the door and rang the bell. There was no answer after a minute so Rose rang the bell again and called out Sarah Jane's name. A sudden crash on the other side of the door startled Rose.

"Sarah Jane?" Rose called, "Is everything okay?"

There was another crash and Rose flinched and she recognized the sound of glass shattering. Rose called out again, but there was no answer except another crash. Stepping back, Rose checked under the welcome mat for a spare key with no luck. Then she titled over one of the pots on the front steps and sighed in relief at the sight of a spare key. Quickly, Rose unlocked the front door and rushed into the house.

Her boots crunched the glass shards underfoot and Rose looked down in confusion. Pieces of several glasses and vases were on the ground around her. "What the?" Rose looked back up in time to dodge another vase that flying through the air towards her. The vase sailed past her, out the open front door and shattered in the drive by Sarah Jane's car. Gasping in surprise, Rose looked down the hall and gasped again, even more loudly.

Sarah Jane was standing at the end of the hallway. She looked normal, dressed neatly in a shirt and vest with the brooch pinned over her heart, but her eyes were bloodshot and she seemed dazed. Rose noticed that the older woman was already reaching for yet another breakable piece of pottery.

"Sarah Jane," Rose tried. "Calm down, it's me, Rose."

"Oh I know who you are," Sarah Jane hissed. "My replacement. The girl that always sees the Doctor!" Sarah Jane's glare turned even darker. "What makes you better than me?"

"Nothing," Rose said as she took a careful step back. "It wasn't like that. He had to go home, you know that. He just doesn't look back. It isn't my fault."

Rose jumped out the front door and onto the porch to avoid another pot being thrown at her. Turning back to Sarah Jane, Rose's eyes widened as she saw the brooch glow and Sarah Jane stumbled to the side, groaning. "Sarah Jane," Rose tried. "Take off the brooch."

"No, it's mine," Sarah Jane snapped. "You can't take that too."

"You're not acting like yourself," Rose said gently. "You're better than this. I know you have issues with me, but you'd never turn violent. The brooch is messing with your head."

"I have clarity," Sarah Jane said with a regal look at Rose. "I do not need a little girl trying to lecture me. You, Rose Tyler, are not welcome here." Sarah Jane threw her right hand forward and Rose felt a strong wind impact her, knocking her out the front door. Then Sarah Jane made a sharp motion with her right hand again and the door slammed in Rose's face.

She stood there blinking and gaping at the door in shock longer than she should have. Finally, Rose turned away from the door and rushed back to the sidewalk. She leaned against the brick wall that surrounded Sarah Jane's home and took a deep breath. The brooch was clearly alien and having some influence on Sarah Jane. Taking a deep breath, Rose pulled out the keys to her jeep, determined to track down that shopkeeper and see if he knew anything about the brooch.

Meanwhile inside Sarah Jane's house the brooch stopped glowing and Sarah Jane fell sideways against the wall, barely catching herself. She grabbed her head and groaned in pain, closing her eyes for a moment as she took a deep breath. A moment later she straightened up and looked around. She gasped at the sight of the broken pots and vases.

"What the?" Sarah Jane gasped. "What's going on?"

The trip into London was tense as Rose rang the Chestertons and warned them to stay away from Sarah Jane. Rose had little more that she could tell them beyond the obvious problems that the brooch that Rose had given Sarah Jane was alien and had done something to the woman. Rose had absolutely no idea of what to think about that. Not for the first time she wished she had a communication system with Mister Spock. If Ian or Barbara had been in Cambridge, Rose would have sent them to her apartment to talk with the Xylok about the problem. She considered calling the Doctor, but Rose feared that Sarah Jane seeing the TARDIS would trigger an even more violent reaction. The last thing she wanted was for Sarah Jane or anyone else to get hurt.

Rose parked her jeep and rushed down the side street towards the shop. She remember the decorations of the surrounding stores very well and wasn't surprised when the cramped little building came into view. Sighing in relief, Rose quickly crossed the street and ran to the front of the store. Pulling the door open, Rose stepped inside and gasped. Everything was gone, the shelves were all gone and the tables that had filled the space were missing. The main room was completely bare.

Gaping, Rose stood in silence and shock. There was no way that everything could have been moved in one night. She amended that thought quickly. Certainly there was technology to empty the contents of a shop in one night. After all, the Doctor had a transdimensional time travel blue box.

"Hello?" Rose called out into the still store. "Hello, is anyone here."

"Hello," a strange voice replied from the back room. It reminded Rose of something, but it certainly wasn't the shopkeeper's voice.

Suddenly a light flashed on in the back room where the store's counter had been. Rose only hesitated for a moment, relaxing her right hand so she could summon her sword if she needed it and started to walk across the expanse of the empty floor. Her boots had her steps echo horribly against the polished wooden floor and Rose wondered if in her line of work she should look into getting quieter shoes, no matter how much she loved the low heel black boots. As she approached the back room, Rose's noise picked up the scent of cinnamon and what she thought was tea. Pausing just before the doorway, Rose glanced back at the front door. This felt like a trap and she really wondered about the wisdom of just walking into it. In the end it was her sense of loyalty to Sarah Jane, the knowledge that getting the Doctor involved would just make things worse and her lack of options for a quick fix that forced Rose to take that final step into the back room.

The back room had changed as well, gone were the shelves and the counter. Rose's eyes were drawn at once up the golden wolf stained glass window before they finally settled on the person in the room. The Shopkeeper was sitting in a plush armchair in the same odd outfit he had been wearing the day before. A tea service was set on a table next to him, between his chair and a second armchair. Strangest of all was a bright red parrot with beautiful blue and green feathers on his wings sitting on a tall perch next to the Shopkeeper's chair.

"Hello," the parrot said. Rose couldn't help but smile a little; it explained the odd voice from earlier.

Turning her attention back to the Shopkeeper Rose crossed her arms, "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Please Miss Tyler," the shopkeeper said in a friendly voice. "Won't you take a seat? I will answer what questions I can."

"My friend-"

"Sarah Jane Smith is in no immediate danger," the Shopkeeper assured her. "The brooch is amplifying her emotions."

"And the telekinesis?" Rose demanded.

"A simple short term side effect of the brooch's reaction to you. Miss Smith is not in any physical danger." 

"Physical danger," Rose said with a raised eyebrow. "Implying that she is in psychological danger." 

The Shopkeeper sighed and shook his head. Turning to the tea service, he poured a fresh cup of tea and made it just as Rose liked: one sugar and a touch of milk. "I will answer what questions I can Miss Tyler, but first please take a seat. I feel so very rude sitting with tea while you remain standing in the doorway."

Rose stared at him for a few moments, gauging him. He was an odd man, but she didn't feel any hostility from him. Uncrossing her arms, Rose walked over to the second armchair and sat down. Accepting the tea, she took a sip while the Shopkeeper smiled.

"Thank you Miss Tyler," the Shopkeeper said. "Now as I am certain you have determined I am now than a shopkeeper."

"I've gathered that," Rose said. "Why the show yesterday?" 

"I had two items that needed to be put into your hands of course," the Shopkeeper said with a smile. "But you would have hesitated to give something to Sarah Jane if you thought there might be a danger to it."

"Of course I would have," Rose said firmly. "So again why?"

The Shopkeeper sighed and looked over at the parrot to Rose's confusion. Then the bird seemed to nod and Rose blinked in surprise. Smiling, the Shopkeeper turned back to Rose. "The greater danger was if she didn't get the brooch. As I told you the brooch represents change and acceptance. Miss Smith has been stuck in her life for many years, stuck in her own past and stuck in her own sense of what defined her." The Shopkeeper paused, "If you had been just a normal companion to the Doctor I believe that she would have accepted it, but deep down she knows that something is different and it is driving her inability to accept change."

Rose didn't know who to respond to that. The Shopkeeper sipped his tea and gave her a moment before he continued. "The brooch will retract its influence once Miss Smith has accepted the changes in her life."

"Why are you doing this?" Rose asked. "What's you interest in making sure that she moves on with her life?" 

"Helping things turn out right is my job," the Shopkeeper said with a smile. "Everything has its place in the universe and I make sure that it gets there."

"Still not really answering the question," Rose replied with a raised eyebrow.

"All in good time Miss Tyler," the Shopkeeper replied. "As for helping Miss Smith, I suggest that you first accept what you are refusing to accept. Only when the brooch no longer detects your own refusal of the changes in your life well it allow you close enough to help Miss Smith through hers."

"What are you talking about?" Rose demanded, setting the cup of tea to the side and leaning forward in the chair.

The Shopkeeper now raised his eyebrow at her and tisked slightly. "Really Miss Tyler, you know exactly what you haven't accepted yet." The Shopkeeper stood up and moved towards the parrot's perch. Holding out his arm, he waited patiently while the bird climbed onto his arm and then turned back to Rose. "I do hope that it all turns out alright and I would suggest you stay in the chair for when the tea kicks in."

"What?" Rose started to ask as she moved to stand up. Her head felt heavy and Rose slumped back into the chair. "What did you do?"

"It won't last long," the Shopkeeper quickly reassured her. "Dream journeys only seem long, but if all goes well, you'll be back at Miss Smith's before lunch." He gave Rose one last smile and then he vanished.

Rose tried to move, but her limbs were too heavy and her body just seemed to be melting back into the armchair. Just as in real sleep, she couldn't pinpoint the moment she fell asleep, but her awareness returned to her what seemed only a moment later. She was standing in a large doomed room, but it was unlike anything she had ever seen before. Space itself seemed to be what formed the walls with brilliant galaxies and stars slowly circling the room like a planetarium, but much grander. After gazing up at the scene surrounding her, Rose looked down at herself and noted that she was dressed like she had that day and was still herself. The floor she was standing on looked similar to marble, but the stone had ribbons of blue, red, violet, black, white and gold running through it. Rose couldn't look at the strange surface for long as it almost shimmered and she eyes couldn't properly focus on it.

The room was a massive circle and was mostly a large empty space beneath the strange ceiling. However, Rose noted that there were six thrones spread around the circumference of the room. One was black and directly opposite to it in the room was a throne of white. A golden throne sat on a slight dais unlike the other five throne and had a slightly different design to it. The other three thrones were red, blue and violet, matching all the colors of the floor.

"Hello Rose," a warm friendly voice said from behind her.

Spinning, Rose gasped as she saw the figure standing behind her. It was herself, a bit older, but there was no doubt that it was her. Silently, Rose examined the image of her older self who just smiled calmly and allowed her a moment of examination. She wore a simple white shirt under a shimmering pashmina and form fitting jeans. Her hair was a touch lighter than her own, a rich warm golden color with a slight curl to it. The woman was casual and elegant in a way that surprised Rose.

"Where I am?" Rose asked softly. "Is this real?"

"Yes, Rose," the older woman replied with a gentle smile. "You needed some help."

"I don't understand," Rose admitted, feeling very young and silly in front of the older version of herself. Shoving her hands into her pocket, Rose offered a slight shrug.

"I remember what it was like to be that young," the older Rose observed with a tilt of her head. "You're somewhere safe. This is the Hall of the Universe. The Guardians agreed it was the safest place for us to have this conversation. I thought the TARDIS might have too many distractions."

Rose had so many questions, but as her older self-stepped closer to her they started to become less important. The older woman stopped just in front of her. "It is going to be alright," she said. "I know that it is terrifying to know so much and yet so little of what is happening in your life."

"It's not that bad," Rose defended before realizing that she was basically arguing with herself.

Instead of laughing at her, the older woman just raised her eyebrow. "Let's see shall we. You are eighteen years old and your life has been dominated by very powerful beings that hold most of the knowledge and power about you and your life. The Black Guardian forever changed the course of your life by altering the path of Spellman so that the tender age of eleven you had to fight for your survival and the survival of others. The White Guardian guided other events to ensure that you set the Durmion Empire to rights before things went out of control. While you chose how to react to these events, you did not have the power in starting them." 

Rose didn't say anything, but found herself looking at the red throne rather than looking at the older woman. "And then there is the Doctor."

"Don't," Rose said. "I don't want to talk about it."

"We don't need to talk about it," the older woman said with a tilt of her head. "This is all in your mind Rose so just me saying it means that your mind is starting to work its way through this. You've repressed so much of everything that has happened to you. Instead of crying, panicking or gasping in awe, you've just kept running ahead to whatever comes next." 

"What do you suggest?" Rose snapped, crossing her arms defensively.

"Stop it," the older Rose said. "And deal with it. Your relationship with him cannot handle two people who refuse to deal with the reality of their emotions."

"I am dealing with it," Rose hissed.

"No young one," the woman said as she shook her head. "But you're starting to."

Then Rose opened her eyes and shot up in the chair. Gasping for breath, she looked around the room. The perch, other armchair and tea service were all gone. The armchair she was sitting in was the only thing left in the room. Rose blinked again at the light spilling into her eyes and looked up at the source. It was that same wolf stained glass window, but now beneath it were two words carved into the wooden wall. They simply said: Bad Wolf.


	23. The Christmas Trap: Brooch Revelation

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Twenty-Three: Revelation of the Brooch

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: This chapter has been slightly redone to make this episode match up with what I originally planned a bit more.

Rose reached Sarah Jane's house in a blur of driving that she didn't remember. She parked her jeep and jumped out in a rush. Out of the corner of her eye she saw two figures and turned sharply. Across the street, the Black and White Guardians were calmly standing on the sidewalk and regarding her with interest. The White Guardian tipped his hat to her and the Black Guardian gave her a nasty little smile. Before Rose could take one step towards them, they both vanished. Frowning at their presence, Rose turned sharply towards Sarah Jane's house and strode up the drive purposefully.

The front door was still unlocked and Rose stepped inside. All the glass had been cleaned up from the floor so Rose quietly entered the house. She glanced into the living room and tensed. Sarah Jane was in the living room in her armchair with a phone in her hand.

"Sarah Jane?" Rose called out carefully as she stepped into the room.

Sarah Jane raised her eyes to Rose her face normal and calm, but then the brooch flashed brightly and Sarah Jane's eyes darkened.

"What are you doing here?!" Sarah Jane shouted as she threw down the phone and stood. "I told you that you weren't welcome here! And then you waltz into my home like you own it."

"Please Sarah Jane," Rose begged trying to stay calm. "This is the brooch. It is pulling up all your anger, fears and doubts and channeling them into one outburst." 

"Please girl," Sarah Jane sneered. "You know nothing about me. You're just a spoiled little princess who has had her life made easy by aliens. Any problem in your life is fixed by the aliens. A charmed little life and you act like you've got reasons to be unhappy."

"It's you that knows nothing about me," Rose snapped back as her temper started to flare up. "I try to befriend you and all you do is hold me at a distance."

"Oh that wasn't for me!" Sarah Jane snapped back. "You wanted to befriend me for yourself. You're a selfish scared little girl that wants someone to hold their hand and then slaps it away. Your little golden life that isn't good enough for you."

"Oh please!" Rose hissed at Sarah Jane. "My life is being manipulated all the time! My first meeting with the Doctor was a set up!" Rose shouted. "I'm being manipulated into being exactly what the Guardians want me to be and my only other choice is to pretend it never happened. Either I'm what they want me to be or I stop being who I am. At least you know who Sarah Jane Smith is and why she is that way! You made a good life for yourself meanwhile I'm just trying to sort out what the hell is going on behind my back!" Rose suddenly became aware that tears were running down her cheeks. "I don't know the why behind my own life and I'm not in control of my own life." She paused and gasped for air, "You're capable of just moving on with your life and building a career, but I'm not even sure who I am without aliens in my life. Everything I am is wrapped up in things and beings that are beyond me."

The brooch that Sarah Jane was wearing suddenly flashed again and a dark smoke seeped out of the brooch. Suddenly Rose felt a cold shiver sweep over here and found it hard to breathe as the smoke flowed over to her. Rose's tears were blurring her vision horribly and she thought she heard her name. Rose sank to her knees, hugging herself as she cried. It was stupid and felt weak to cry about her life. She loved her life, she loved the exciting events in her life, but the revelations of the Guardians over the years had stripped down her own sense of agency more than she had ever admitted to. Seeing the Black and White Guardians standing across the street simply reinforced that they had plans for her and they would take the steps necessary to make her what they wanted. Rose gasped for air and tried to ignore that she was shaking.

Someone knelt beside her and started rubbing her back. "It's alright Rose," Sarah Jane's soft voice said. "I think it's over." Rose kept fighting to breathe and was slowly pulled up by Sarah Jane. "Sit here and keep breathing," Sarah Jane's voice instructed as she guided Rose to the sofa. "It's alright Rose, the brooch is off. It can't hurt you."

Rose tried to shake her head, but her crying had made her head feel heavy and she groaned. Sarah Jane spoke to her softly and gently, stocking Rose's hair in a soothing manner. Rose didn't understand anything the older woman was saying, but she slowly stopped crying and fell into an exhausted sleep.

When Rose opened her eyes, Sarah Jane was in her armchair across from Rose on the sofa and watching her closely. The brooch was gone from her vest and sitting on a table nearby, no longer glowing and no smoke was flowing from it. Sarah Jane stood up and walked over to Rose and knelt down next to her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Horrible," Rose responded. "What happened?" 

"I don't remember much," Sarah Jane said with a slight smile. "But it would seem that you found a piece of alien technology. It had some kind of effect on the two of us, but it seems like it is over now." Sarah Jane looked Rose over, "Why don't you go wash up and I'll make us some lunch. I feel famished."

"Alright," Rose said as she slowly sat up. "Sarah Jane… I'm sorry." 

"Oh not your fault," Sarah Jane laughed. "It's been a while since I was influenced by alien technology, but I'm alright. It had a worse effect on you."

"How bad was I?" Rose asked as she stood.

Sarah Jane paused and looked back at Rose, "I know it affected me, but it seemed fixed on you."

"I should call Ian and Barbara," Rose said. "Just to tell them everything is okay." 

"I already did that," Sarah Jane said. "I was on the phone with them earlier after I realized that something was wrong. I called them back when you fell asleep and the brooch stopped glowing. You wash up."

Still dizzy and slightly confused, Rose climbed the stairs to the second floor and located the larger bathroom that looked out over the street. She went to the window first and looked out to the sidewalk for the Guardians. They hadn't returned. Sighing, Rose turned to the sink and avoided looking in the mirror. She rinsed off her face and tried to avoid thinking about what had happened. Then she stopped and thought about it. Then she felt sick. Rose took another shaky breath and looked in the mirror. Her eyes were red, but not too swollen. Rose wet a cloth and held it to her face and forced herself just to breath.

She gave herself a few minutes to calm down and tidy up. Taking a deep breath, she went back downstairs to the kitchen where a sandwich was waiting for her.

"Hello Rose," Sarah Jane greeted. "How are you feeling?"

"A bit better," Rose said as she sat down. "Thanks."

Sarah Jane watched her for a moment and then sighed, "It wasn't your fault Rose. Things happen when alien technology is involved. I'm alright and you'll alright so let it go. Trust me, it happens to all of us at some point."

"How do you just let something like that go?" Rose asked surprising both herself and Sarah Jane.

Sarah Jane was silent for a moment, "It isn't easy. Believe me, letting go is never easy, but you have to. Otherwise you get tied to so much baggage that you can't move anymore. Then when you want to move forward it is hard." Sarah Jane sighed and added softly, "I know that feeling too." 

Rose paused before saying, "I'm sorry I've pushed you into so many social situations with the Chestertons."

Sarah Jane smiled slightly and said, "For years I didn't make a lot of friends. Oh there were people I knew and cared about, but I always thought that with my life I couldn't really talk with anyone. I always thought there'd be too many secrets that would get in the way. So it just became easier to keep things distance." Her smiled widened. "But I am glad that I've met you, Ian and Barbara. It is difficult sometimes to suddenly have so many people I can be honest with, but I think it will be worth it." Sarah Jane paused and added, "Johnny is quite lovely too." 

"Yeah," Rose said with a real smile now. "He is."

They switched topics after that, instead talking about a new story that Sarah Jane was looking at doing after Christmas. Apparently there was a nearby school with very odd circumstances and record test scores that Sarah Jane had recently come across. Of course, Sarah Jane was planning to take a look once school was back in session after Christmas. Rose could only shake her head at Sarah Jane's enthusiasm and finish her sandwich.

After lunch Sarah Jane walked Rose to the door. Rose turned and hugged the older woman to Sarah Jane's surprise. "Thanks," she said.

"You're welcome," Sarah Jane replied. "But I really don't remember much. Maybe someday you'll tell me."

"Maybe someday," Rose said. "The brooch should be safe now."

"I'll wait on wearing it," Sarah Jane said, "just in case."

"This morning I was actually coming over to see if you were coming to the party this evening," Rose said suddenly remembering. "What do you think?" 

Sarah Jane was quite for a moment before she nodded. "Yeah, I think I should. Half this neighborhood thinks I'm a crazy frosty woman. It's probably time I did something about that."

"Then I'll see you in a few hours," Rose said as she stepped out the front door. "Until then."

"Until then," Sarah Jane replied. "Stay out of trouble."

Rose grinned and turned back to Sarah Jane to say, "I make no promises."

She wasn't far from her home, but Rose walked slowly as her mind turned over everything that had happened. "Hell of a Christmas Eve," she whispered to herself.

"You'll be alright," a calm male and familiar voice said to her right.

Rose turned and saw the White Guardian calmly leaning against the wall that surrounded the house two doors down from hers. "Do you know what happened?" The White Guardian asked.

Rose shook her head and didn't say anything for a long moment. The White Guardian just watched her until Rose sighed. "That wasn't really Sarah Jane's emotions was it?" Rose asked dejectedly after a moment. "Those were my fears and my issues. The brooch was picking me up, not Sarah Jane. She's fine. She's got her life sorted and she's working on moving ahead with her life. I'm the one who has issues."

"Correct," the White Guardian replied calmly. "Sarah Jane may have some pain and resentment in her from being left behind, but nothing of that scale. She's stronger than that. She wasn't the person that needed to learn acceptance, it was you that the brooch was really focused on. Sarah Jane was the person that it acted through, forcing you to start acknowledging certain realities. It was your perceptions and fears that were being used by the brooch, not Sarah Jane's. You really are very nasty towards yourself. After all everything she said is from your own fears and doubts."

"You shouldn't have used her to teach me a lesson," Rose said in a quiet voice. "She deserves better than to be your tool."

The White Guardians regarded Rose calmly, showing no emotion. His look made Rose just want to curl up and hide, it made her feel so young and silly. Then the White Guardian's expression softened and he said gently, "Out of the two of you, she's the one most likely to handle the emotions." He paused, "You just repress. The only time you acknowledge the strain of your life is with the Doctor, but you've never admitted to your concerns about the grander scale. Just your concerns about your personal relationship." The White Guardian shrugged and added, "Saving people is no problem for you, but you refuse to deal with saving yourself. Humans can only take so much before they suffer a nervous breakdown."

"So you made me deal with it," Rose finished in a soft voice. "But still Sarah Jane-"

The White Guardian laughed and shook his head. "You wouldn't deal with it Rose, ever, unless someone else was on the line. The only reason you even started to acknowledge it was because you thought it would let you save Sarah Jane. Thus we gave you that impression so you'd finally start dealing with your life and what it means. For Sarah Jane is just a hazy experience while you were the one that is actually affected by it."

Rose was quiet, hating the feeling of guilt that was overtaking her. The Guardian was right and she hated it. Worse, she hated that he had used Sarah Jane like that to get through to her because she was stubborn.

"Why do you do these things?" Rose managed to ask. "Why is a Guardian of the Universe so interested in me?"

"I told you Rose Tyler," the White Guardian replied. "You have potential."

"That's not an answer," Rose said with a sigh. "You've manipulated my life and won't give me a real answer. That's not fair."

"Life isn't fair," the White Guardian replied firmly. "The universe doesn't care about fairness. Justice, morality and fair play are constructs of sentient life. They don't occur naturally and they are not my dominion."

"Aren't you the Guardian of Good?" Rose asked, her voice finally gaining a little bit of strength back.

"Don't confuse fairness and good, Rose Tyler," the White Guardian replied. "They sometimes overlap, but they are far from the same thing. What I did through my servant may seem harsh, but it was for your own good. Fairness has nothing to do with it." The White Guardian looked at her a moment and sighed, "You humans are so emotional. I confess that I am somewhat at a loss for how to really guide you." The White Guardian paused. "You are right that we are manipulating many events in your life Miss Tyler, but you always have a choice. That choice may be a very bad one, but we can never take it away from you."

"My choice is to be what you want me to be," Rose sighed, "Or walk away from being the person I am." She snorted. "Of course the person I am is partially the result of your manipulations. I am who I am because of meeting Spellman when I was eleven, helping Eve and becoming a Star Knight."

"Everyone is shaped by the forces in their lives," the White Guardian replied. "You are just more aware of them." The White Guardian paused, examined Rose and then asked, "If you had the chance to undo our influence on your life would you?"

The question startled Rose and she blinked up at the White Guardian. "I don't know," she admitted after a moment. Then she crossed her arms across her chest and looked away from him.

"Sometime I forget just how young you are," the White Guardian replied with a shake of his head. "You humans are so emotional and strange."

Rose chuckled despite herself and turned back to him. "I don't like being manipulated. I don't like knowing that there is plan for my life and I'm not a part of the planning process. I don't like feeling out of control and I hate feeling afraid."

"There are reasons Miss Tyler," the White Guardian said. "Reasons that cannot be told to you. If you knew the truth now it would undo all that has been done. I cannot make this easier," he said, "But I can reassure you of one thing." 

"What's that?" Rose asked.

"We can't control your feelings," the White Guardian replied and made a very pointed nod down the street.

Rose turned as the familiar sound of the TARDIS materializing reached her ears. The blue police box appeared only a few feet away on the sidewalk. She turned back towards the White Guardian, but he had already vanished. Walking forward, Rose reached for the TARDIS key around her neck, but didn't need it as the door swung open to reveal the brown-eyed Doctor standing in the doorway.

"Hello Rose," he said gently, taking in her appearance.

"Hi Doctor," Rose replied with a weak smile.

He stepped out of the TARDIS and opened his arms to her. Surrendering to the impulse, Rose wrapped her arms around him and hugged him as tightly as he hugged her. Rose inhaled the now familiar scent of her Doctor as she relaxed against him. He kissed her head very gently, but the comforting action made Rose smile.

"Rough day?" the Doctor asked.

"You could say that," Rose replied quietly, not releasing her hold on him. "My inability to deal with my life put Sarah Jane in the middle of something she shouldn't have been pulled into as the Guardians used her to teach me a lesson. So now I've got guilt and I'm being forced to deal with my life when I really don't want to."

The Doctor rubbed her back gently, "That explains a lot."

"Oh?" Rose asked softly, letting her eyes flutter closed.

"You were always against me repressing," the Doctor replied in an amused voice. "I've been wondering about that. I figured it would all catch up sooner or later. You've been through a lot."

Rose chuckled, "Yeah according to the White Guardian it isn't healthy for me."

"Suppose not," the Doctor responded. Then he pulled back slightly so he could see her face. "Come with me?"

"Where?"

"I think I know who you should talk to," the Doctor said. "Just a quick space jump to see Eve."

"Eve?" Rose gasped, blinking in surprise. "You know where she is?" 

"Her people were just called together to a new planet," the Doctor said with a slight smile. "Enough of them survived that they are giving restarting their culture a go." He looked down at Rose and tenderly asked, "Would you like to see her?"

"That sounds nice," Rose answered softly.

The Doctor reached down and took her head, "Come on then. Allons-y."

He took her hand and led her into the TARDIS, but he was much gentler with her. Rose sighed softly; apparently the Doctor was now afraid that she was going to break. Of course if he knew much about the day she'd just had that was no mystery. Sitting down on the jump seat, Rose slightly watched the Doctor set the time and space coordinates. Her mind wandered as the TARDIS moved through the vortex and vaguely Rose was aware that she should probably be a lot more excited about visiting an alien planet, but she couldn't get the look on Sarah Jane's face out of her head and the revelation that it had never been about Sarah Jane. It wasn't Sarah Jane that had the problem, it was her. That revelation shook her.

"Rose?" The Doctor called gently, taking her hand. "We're here."

"Oh," Rose said. "Uh right, thanks."

She stood up and started moving towards the door. Then she stopped and turned back to the Doctor. "I'm not normally like this," Rose told him lifting her chin up.

He smiled, "I know you aren't darling." The Doctor leaned back against the controls, "But you don't always have to be tough you know."

Rose sighed and relaxed her shoulder, "That seems to be the lesson of the day."

"Rose," the Doctor said. "You are brilliant and that hasn't changed at all."

"Sarah Jane-" Rose started to say.

"Will be fine," the Doctor told her. "She's stronger than you give her credit for. Trust me, Sarah will be brilliant." He motioned towards the door, "Eve is waiting for you."

"Are you coming with me?" Rose asked and the Doctor shook his head.

"I don't do girl talk Rose," he replied with a smile. "You'll be fine." He brushed his lips to hers in a quick kiss.

"Why are you?" Rose paused, "You don't seem like you usually deal with emotional fallout."

The Doctor sighed and nodded. "Usually not, but you were there for me through several rough patches so if bringing you to see an old friend helps you then that's what I'll do."

"How do you know it will help?" Rose asked with a slight smile.

"Oh you left a recording about it," the Doctor responded with a shake of his head. "Apparently after I regenerated and you locked me in the Zero Room to help me through my regeneration sickness, you were out here making all kinds of arrangements." 

"Because I knew I was going to vanish," Rose said with a sigh. "Time travel can be a bit of headache." 

"A bit at time," the Doctor said before nodding to the door. "Go on then. She's one of your best friends." 

"Who can also see right through me," Rose added. Then she took a deep breath and walked to the TARDIS doors. She opened them and stepped outside before she could change her mind and beg the Doctor to just take her home.


	24. The Christmas Trap: Christmas Eve

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Twenty-Four: Christmas Eve

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Another chapter of the Christmas Trap that's undergone a slight rewrite to improve it. Enjoy.

Rose stepped out into a circular room, lit with natural light pouring in through several large windows. The room was bright and inviting, but it was the last place Rose wanted to be. Well maybe that wasn't true, she wanted to see Eve, but she knew what seeing her friend would mean. Eve was frankly the one person that Rose couldn't even manage to pretend she could lie to. Stepping forward, Rose looked around for Eve for a moment before turning and walking around the TARDIS. Eve was standing a ways back at the wall of the room. Behind her was an elegant and soft looking sofa with a curved back. A small table with a pitcher of water stood next to it. Heavy drapes covered the windows next to Eve and a strange elaborate lantern hung above the couch.

Eve took a small step forward, smiling widely at Rose with her white teeth gleaming. The two old friends examined each other for a moment. Eve had grown a little taller, putting her a few inches above Rose. Her red hair was curled around the two small horns on her head in a strange, but elegant style. Eve was wearing a long black robe with white and gold trim. Then Rose felt the brush of Eve's mind against her own.

'Hello Rose,' Eve's voice in her mind said softly. 'I have missed you.'

Rose's tension eased slightly as Eve stepped forward with open arms. Without hesitation, Rose accepted the hug and wrapped her arms around Eve. She took a shaky breath as Eve gently held her.

"I've missed you too," Rose said around the lump in her throat that was becoming larger.

'It's okay,' Eve's smooth calming voice said in her head again. 'You're safe.' Rose didn't reply, afraid that she would lose control and start crying again. She felt Eve gently rub her back. 'You haven't done anything wrong,' Eve's voice said in her head. 'You've always done the best you can and that is enough.'

Rose didn't reply to her friend, but didn't release her hold of Eve in their tight hug. Eve actually chuckled a little, but made no move to pull away even as Rose started to shake a little. 'The Guardians haven't hurt you,' Eve promised. 'They put nothing into you that wasn't already there. They just want to you to be the best you can be.'

"Why?" Rose whispered as she finally started to loosen her hold on Eve. "They are the Guardians of Time and Space, why do I matter. I'm just an ordinary human."

"I believe your boyfriend would disagree with that statement on many levels," Eve said verbally as she released Rose and took a step back. Eve held her hand out to Rose and led her friend over to one of the chairs.

Rose sank into the couch, running her fingers over the soft fabric of its surface. She took a deep breath to steady herself and keep her tears repressed. Eve shook her head as she gracefully sat down to Rose's left by the water. "Rose," Eve said in a warning tone.

"I'm fine," Rose insisted. "I've done the acknowledging my issues and the crying thing. I'm fine."

"Not even close," Eve remarked verbally with a raised eyebrow. When Rose didn't react, Eve sighed and said. "Well then, let's see what I can actually do about that."

"Eve," Rose said in a warning tone. "Don't."

'Let's see,' Eve's warm voice said in Rose's head. 'You're worried that your life is just a product of the Guardians' influence. You worry that they've manipulated not only the events you've found yourself in, but also the outcome which would mean that you're not actually good at what you do. You're scared of why they are so interested in you. Worst of all you worry that you're nothing without the influence of the Guardians in your life. You are filled with such doubts of what your life would have been otherwise."

"Can you not read my mind?" Rose interrupted sharply.

'Rose,' Eve's voice said in her mind again. 'It's okay.'

"No it isn't," Rose hissed as tears pricked at her eyes again. "I hate feeling like this. I hate being so afraid of my own life. I hate thinking that all the good things in my life I owe to two powerful beings that tell me nothing. I hate being scared; I hate feeling weak and I hate being worried over something I can't change."

"You're not weak for feeling something," Eve said. "It's human and that is a wonderful thing. Stop thinking that you have to perfect. You are only eighteen years old for goodness sake."

Rose didn't reply, she sat slightly in the chair and stared at a speck of dirt on the otherwise pristine floor. Part of her really wanted to listen to Eve; she trusted her friend's understanding of the universe and timeline far more than her own. Another part of her was content to just wallow in her guilt, anger and sadness, a part that Rose found she despised.

"Eve," Rose said finally. "Think about it, even where I live has been shaped by aliens. You convinced your father to leave Sharon, Shireen and I money so we could move our families. That wasn't me, that was you and the Guardians were watching then too."

"True," Eve said. "But I didn't convince Father to leave you that money because of the Guardians, I didn't even understand properly who they were then. I did it because I am your friend. Father believed in you three and knew that it would mean something to you. We just wanted to repay you for helping me. That was an emotional choice because we cared about Rose Tyler."

"I met the Doctor because of the Guardians," Rose said. "The Black Guardian put Spellman into my path and that's how I met him. Even his presence in my life is part of someone else's scheme."

Eve stared at Rose for a long moment before she reached over and touch Rose's hand. Rose flinch back from her, knowing what was coming, but Eve wrapped her fingers around Rose's before the human girl could stop her. Rose's vision blurred and her stomach felt like it dropped away as images of her past are forced back in the foreground with unreal clarity.

She is fifteen years old and stumbling into Eve's ship after the White Guardians saves her from drowning. Rose asks about the stranger, but soon ignores him in favor of focusing on getting Eve off of Earth. Her fear for her friend overrules any curiosity or fear she feels about the strange appearance.

She is sixteen years old and holding the Key to Horath in the center of the standing stones. Adams has manipulated her and used her to gain control of an ancient and evil power so his master Apep can rewrite the universe. She feels the thrum of the Key, the energy and knows the importance of this thing in her hands. Then she smashes it against a rock.

She is seventeen years old and standing across from Gavin with the robots behind her. Gavin is an alien prince, but frightened and worried about what is happening. She calms him, promises him that everything will be okay and begs him to give her his biodamper. As he puts it into her hand, Rose finally believes that everything will be okay.

She is eighteen years old when she feels a shock up her arms as her fingers brush the sword. The pain from glass in the palms of her hands suddenly fades and her grip tightens on the sword. She brings the sword up to fight Verigot so she can save the princess, prevent the war and save Earth. Without knowing it, she became a Star Knight.

She is a new student at Cambridge when the Earthquakes start. Her immunity from traveling through the Time Space Vortex protects her. She teams up with Ian Chesterton to use the computer virus to stop the Xylok and save Earth.

She has found the crashed ship and uses her translator to speak with the poor traders who have crashed on Earth. She explains her case to UNIT and wins her argument. The Doctor arrives and tells her that she has changed the course of history by convincing UNIT to try something new.

She is using a mirror to fight the gorgon, but loses it during the fight. A cell phone call saves her from being the new host as Eve helps Sharon and Shireen save her. Rose defeats the gorgon like a hero of mythology and prevents the invasion of Earth.

She is standing in front of a wormhole that exists and doesn't exist as it collapses into itself. The surface shimmers and swirls, drawing her into it. A soft song fills her head and it feels like she is on the verge of something, but she is being held back. Then it all ends suddenly and she is just standing in a room.

She is screaming at Sarah Jane, already aware on some level that this is just a mirror. Nothing from the older woman's mouth is meant, but it reflects her fears and her doubts. So many doubts have crept into her mind. So many fears have rooted themselves into her perceptions. She starts to cry as the cracks form on the carefully constructed life she has sought to maintain.

Rose gasped for air as the flashes stopped and she found herself back on the small couch. Her body was shaking and her balance was off. Eve used a hand to steady Rose as she leaned forward and caught her breath. "I wish you wouldn't do that," Rose gasped at Eve with a slight glare that she couldn't hold when Eve smiled at her.

"Rose," Eve said gently. "It is true that the Guardians can create or alter situations to achieve a goal, but they cannot force any sentient creature to take an action. Regardless of how you reached all those moments, you reached them and made a decision. It is your decisions that define you, not simply your presence in those events. While it is true that they may be able to predict what choice you will make, it does not diminish the value of that choice. You may know that fire fighter will rush into a burning building to save someone, but it doesn't make that action worth any less."

Eve smiled and glanced towards the TARDIS. "And your emotional relationship with him isn't something they control. That's the two of you. As the White Guardian said, they have no power over the two of you loving each other." Eve paused and then added, "Rose the universe adores you and is trying to help you."

"How did you come to that conclusion?" Rose asked a bit sarcastically. "Doesn't feel like it with problems popping up every month lately."

Eve chose to ignore her sarcasm. "Coincidence is the universe's way to having fun or helping someone out."

"Your point?" Rose asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You've managed to meet and befriend not only the Chestertons, but Sarah Jane Smith," Eve pointed out. "That is the universe trying to help you Rose. Giving you allies, teachers and support." Eve grinned. "Take the hint."

Rose glared as her own words were turned back on her by Eve. "You make it sound like I should just shrug it off and pretend it doesn't matter."

"Rose," Eve said gently. "It matters, but not in the way you think it does. You have a good life, good friends and people who care about you. Sarah Jane had a rough day too, but she was worried about you. Does it really matter how you got here?"

"It does if there is a cost to it," Rose replied. "The Guardians want something from me, but won't tell me what."

"And you're worried that the price of your life will be higher than you can pay."

"The White Guardian asked me if given the chance to undo their influence I would… I couldn't answer his question," Rose said with a sigh. "But what if in the future…" 

"Rose," Eve said. "Stop trying to answer all the questions at once. You can't."

"Do you know the answers?" Rose asked as she looked over at Eve.

"No," Eve said softly. "You were the timeline I was exposed to during my time of changing and thus my powers remain very connected to you, but I do not know all the answers. Powerful beings like the Guardians and even the Doctor blur my vision of events. Thus I am limited," Eve paused. "But I know you and thus I know that you'll be fine." Eve reached for Rose's hand and smiled when she didn't draw back. "Just live your life Rose. Regardless of what fears you may have over how your life took shape, it is yours. You are a sentient being and nothing in the universe can take that identity away from you."

"Something could kill me," Rose pointed out ruefully, "That would end that pretty quick."

"I wouldn't want to be the thing that tries," Eve said with a laugh, ignoring Rose's tone completely. "If it survived dealing with you then there would be the Doctor to contend with."

Rose flinched slightly at that statement and her eyes flew back to the TARDIS. Eve chuckled, "And there is another issue." Eve leaned back comfortably in her chair. "Strange relationship you have with him, no doubt about that one." Eve tilted her head, "So Rose if you dislike the Guardians influence on your life, how do you feel about his?"

"Eve, I don't-"

"Rose, honey," Eve said gently. "You've got to get over some these things. The Guardians, the why and the reasons I can't really help you beyond telling you just to accept it. So come on, the boyfriend I can actually be of help with. You adore being with him, but there is something else too. Otherwise the brooch never would have attacked that issue."

Rose was quite for a long time. Eve turned to her side and carefully poured some water into a glass before handing it to Rose who dutifully drank. "In the whole of time and space," Rose said thickly at long last, "Out of all of the women in the universe," She looked over at the TARDIS across the room and sighed. "Why would he pick me?"

"Because you are Rose Tyler," Eve said gently with a small smile. "And Rose Tyler is amazing."

"Will be amazing," Rose corrected with a confused shake of her head. "I'm not really the person he's in love with though, not yet and if anything changes I never will be."

"You sound very certain of that," Eve observed with a tilt of her head. "Yet you are there for him, you are honest with him, you believe in him and you care about him." Eve smiled, "And I think you worry too much about what Rose Tyler of the future is like." Eve paused, "She's a bit more patient than you, a little better at reading people and a slightly better liar. Otherwise you're a lot alike. She saves planets, uses her sword to stop the bad guys, yells at authority figures when she feels it is necessary and loves the people around her." Eve chuckled at the last one and looked over at Rose, "You act as if you're going to go through some dramatic shift in your character. There will be issues and problems that you'll grow during and you'll change a little as you finish growing up, but nothing to the extreme that you imagine him being in love with you would take. He's in love with Rose Tyler and you are Rose Tyler and you are always Rose Tyler," Eve motioned towards the TARIDS, "Just like regardless of regeneration, he is always the Doctor."

"What should I do?" Rose finally asked.

"Do you actually want my advice?" Eve asked with a touch of amusement.

"Yes," Rose said. "I do. You know me best, better than I know myself in some ways."

"Then I suggest that you reassure that poor Time Lord that you're not going to rewrite time to escape the Guardians and then you help Sarah Jane with that alien plot she has found."

"That school is really an alien plot?" Rose asked. "Seriously."

"Yes," Eve said. "Then just live your life. Take it one day at a time. Go to class, do your homework, save the planet, meet some new people, snog the Doctor and let yourself grow up."

"You make it sound so simple." 

"You're the one making things complicated," Eve responded with a shrug. "You've got a good life so stop worrying about the future so much." Eve frowned slightly.

Rose paused, "Then why do the Guardians feel the need to push this now?"

Eve groaned and shook her head. She looked at Rose for a long moment, before she finally said, "Because you are attracting attention Rose," Eve said finally. "You need to make a decision about if you are going to walk away. Time can be rewritten, but the longer you wait the harder it is." Eve looked at her seriously, "This may be your last chance to lead a normal life in the future."

Rose blinked in surprise and looked back at the TARDIS, "I don't want a normal life," Rose muttered.

"Well," Eve said. "You're fine then, aren't you."

"Doesn't mean I want a crazy life," Rose said with a slightly teasing smile.

"When it rains it pours," Eve replied with a smirk before she examined Rose. "You're not alright yet Rose Tyler, but you will be. Just take it slow and don't be so afraid to examine the events of your life. You don't need to lock everything away in your journal."

Rose nodded vaguely, unsure of what else she could do. Swallowing, she glanced at the TARDIS and shook her head. "Well then, the Doctor said he didn't do girl talk so shall we switch to that."

Eve laughed, "Well, this new planet is very interesting. It was given to my people by the Otharans when enough of us starting finding each other. I admit there is one boy I have a bit of crush on, but he already has someone so I don't think that will go anywhere."

"How is your father?" Rose asked.

"He passed away six months ago," Eve said softly.

Rose's eyes widened and she couldn't contain her gasp. "Oh Eve, I'm so sorry."

"Thank you," Eve said gently. "It has been hard adjusting to life without him, but he had a chance to see so much of space and see me settled with my own people."

Rose shook her head, "Your father died and you've just been listening to me whine."

"I'm your friend," Eve replied. "And you had a bad day."

Rose leaned forward and hugged Eve. "I'm sorry about your father, he was an amazing man."

"Yes," Eve said as her voice cracked a little. "He was."

Rose released Eve and wiped her eyes of the tears that had started to gather again at the news. Forcing a smile, Rose took Eve's hand. "Tell me everything that has happened since I last saw you."

"Everything?" Eve questioned. "It's not nearly as interesting as your story."

"You know everything that has happened to me," Rose pointed out. "So your turn."

"Alright then," Eve said with a wide smile.


	25. The Christmas Trap: Halfway Out

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Twenty-Five: Halfway Out of the Dark

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Last chapter of the Christmas episode and now having undergone a slight rewrite. Plot hasn't changed, but I added in a few extra scenes to the episode to make it work a little better.

It had been three years for Rose since Eve left Earth, but for Eve it had been five years so they weren't perfectly synched. Eve told Rose about the strange planets she had seen with her father, the comet they had chased around a solar system and the day that the odd message came to her ship from other survivors. Rose listened enthralled by her friend's tales of the stars, a place she longed to go herself, but feared at the same time. When Eve came to Harry's death, Rose held her friend's hand and was relieved to find out that the old man had died in his sleep knowing that his daughter was safe and happy.

Eve asked Rose about her life outside of aliens and Rose told her about Cambridge. Then she had a horrifying moment of realizing just how little she had to tell. Rose hadn't really made friends with any of her classmates, she didn't go out much and spent most of her time out of class either working on Mister Spock's interface or talking about aliens with the Chestertons or Sharon and Shireen. Eve's pointed look made it clear exactly why she asked.

"I'll work on that," Rose promised with a sigh.

"Good," Eve said as she stood up. "Now I think that's enough for one day." Eve held out her hand to Rose and added, "You still have a Christmas Eve party to attend."

"Time machine," Rose pointed out with a nod to the TARDIS.

"But who is driving," Eve responded with a smile.

Rose smirked, "I suppose I can't really argue with that." She took Eve's hand and let herself be pulled her feet. Eve hugged her tightly. "I'm going to miss you," Rose whispered in her friend's ear.

"I will miss you," Eve replied with a smile as she stepped back. "But you'll be alright." Eve brushed a strand of Rose's hair behind her ear. "Go on then."

"Take care of yourself," Rose said thickly.

"I will. Give Sharon and Shireen my love," Eve said.

Rose nodded as she pulled out her TARDIS key. Turning to the blue box, Rose carefully fit the key into the lock for the first time. She smiled at the click and gently pushed the doors in. Stepping into the TARDIS, Rose smiled at the hum that filled the large room. She turned and waved to Eve before she shut the doors. Leaning against them, Rose took a deep breath before she turned back to the console and walked up the ramp.

"Doctor?" Rose called, not seeing him in the main room.

A moment later the Time Lord bounded into the room and smiled at Rose. "Girl talk done?" At Rose's nod, he grinned. "Brilliant, just sitting here was so boring."

Rose couldn't help her little laugh at his energy. "Thank you for bringing me to see her," Rose said sincerely.

The Doctor calmed a bit and turned to her with a warm smile, "You are very welcome." He turned back to the controls. "Alright then, Christmas Eve 2004, the Tyler residence on planet Earth."

Rose grabbed the railing as the TARDIS shook and jolted into motion. She watched the Doctor dance around the controls and relaxed slightly. She'd find a way to work everything out because she wasn't just going to surrender this sort of life. Feeling a bit better, Rose moved over to the jump seat and sat down, still keeping a tight grip and watched the Doctor. The TARDIS stopped moving suddenly and the Doctor grinned up at the time router.

"Prefect landing, the old girl does seem to like this spot." The Doctor paused, "Course too much of this and Jackie won't be able to grow anything on this spot."

"Yes and she can be very frightening," Rose added as she walked to the door.

"Don't have to tell me that," the Doctor said as he rubbed his cheek to Rose's confusion.

Rose stepped outside the TARDIS and sighed in relief as her mother's back garden surrounded her. The plants were covered in burlap bags for the winter and a chill hung in the air. The afternoon sun was hanging low in the sky, but dusk hadn't yet fallen and inside the house Rose could hear the party already going with music pounding. Shaking her head, Rose turned back to the TARDIS as the Doctor stepped just outside the doors.

"Home again, only two hours after you left." The Doctor looked towards the house, "So Jackie really always has been like this, interesting."

Rose giggled and nervously shifted as she turned back to the Doctor. "Thank you for taking me to see Eve."

"You're welcome," the Doctor said. "You two talked forever."

"We talked for five hours," Rose said with an eye roll. "There was a lot to catch up on. The things she's seen, Harry's death and settling on a new planet." Rose smirked, "Sorry not being the center of attention was hard for you."

The Doctor laughed, a grin lighting up his face. "Well that's better! Cheeky, that's Rose Tyler."

"Yeah," Rose said with a touch of relief. "It is a bit better isn't it? I certainly prefer it to crying."

"Are you going to be alright?" The Doctor asked with a nervous twitch. "Today… well it wasn't exactly a prefect Christmas Eve." 

"I will be alright," Rose said with a nod. "It'll take some slowing down and giving myself time, but I will be alright." Rose paused, "What about you?"

"I'm always alright," the Doctor responded automatically, only to have Rose raise her eyebrow and give him a disapproving look. The Doctor coughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Find someone to travel with Doctor," Rose said gently. "I do mean it."

"Aren't we supposed to be worrying about you?" The Doctor said quickly. "Anyway Christmas Eve with family and friends," he nodded his head towards the back. "Go on."

"This must be hard for you too," Rose observed quietly as she took him in. "Knowing me and yet having me be so young compared to the person you knew. Not knowing what will happen, but being limited in how much you can change." She took a step closer to him and looked up at him. "And I'm not making things easier for you."

"Well," the Doctor said after swallowing hard. "I am the one that started this. There was no message from you to come back in time and see you at eighteen. I did that all on my own."

"Still, I'm sorry," Rose said. "I can't imagine how this feels for you."

"I'm al-," the Doctor started to say until he sighed. "I'm managing. I get to see you and that makes it worth it even if it is complicated even by the standards of my life." The Doctor paused and shoved his hands into his pockets, rocking slightly. "But what about for you Rose? All these problems with the Guardians and aliens, do you still trust me? I'm one of the being making your timeline and life so complicated." 

"I know Doctor," Rose said very softly. "But I trust you." Rose swallowed and continued, "Thing is I know your reasons while I don't know the Guardians. I know that if I wanted you to, you would leave me alone and I know that you…." Rose trailed off and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're just different," Rose finished with a chuckle, "Please don't ask me to explain that further. I'm not sure how."

The Doctor relaxed a bit, smiled and nodded. "Alright," he said as he reached for Rose's hand and squeezed it quickly. "I'll be off. Have a good Christmas." Then dropping her hand, he turned back to enter the TARDIS.

"Doctor wait," Rose said quickly before she thought about it. When he turned back to her, Rose swallowed in surprise at herself. "Wait a moment," Rose said as she took a step towards the house. "Please." 

"Don't be too long," the Doctor replied. "Someone is going to look out a back window sooner or later. Police public call box might be a touch difficult to explain in Jackie's garden." He paused, "Well at least at this point."

Smiling, Rose nodded and rushed into the house. The kitchen was deserted with open boxes of biscuits and other food covering the counters. She could hear her mother's voice in the main room with a few guests that had already arrived. Judging from the noise, the party wasn't in full swing yet. Rose quickly darted to the staircase and headed for her room.

She closed the door carefully for some privacy, leaned against it and took a deep breath. Eve had said she should reassure the Doctor and Rose was getting the feeling that he was seriously reconsidering his place in her life right now. The Doctor almost seemed to back at that nervous to be around her stage. Earlier she had been so happy and relieved just to see him that she hadn't properly noticed it. Rose forced herself to take another breath and then moved into her room. It only took a moment to find her journal she had purchased from the Shopkeeper inside the top drawer of her desk. It was still wrapped in the simple brown paper and Rose decided that it would have to do.

She slipped back downstairs and out the back door into the garden. Rose couldn't help the sigh of relief that the TARDIS was still there and the Doctor was waiting in the doorway. He smiled when she walked back into the garden and tilted his head slightly at the sight of the package in her hand.

"Here," Rose said as she handed him the package, very unsure of what else to say. The Doctor gently took the package and turned it over in his hands. He tapped it carefully and Rose giggled. "Just open it."

The Doctor smiled at her amusement and then proceeded to rip the brown paper packaging off. When he turned the book over so he could the cover, he froze and gasped softly. "This is…" The Doctor trailed off and Rose nodded.

"Yeah, the journal before you will give it to me," Rose shook her head. "And that sentence was odd to say." The Doctor didn't say anything; he just ran a finger over the embossed rose on the cover before looking up at her for an explanation. "I know that things are odd right now," Rose said. "But I want you to know that I wouldn't change us." Rose swallowed, "The White Guardian asked me if I would undo their influence if I could, but I didn't have an answer because I do like who I am and I like knowing you." Rose inwardly groaned, this wasn't coming out right. "You told me time can be rewritten, but I'm giving this to you so you understand that even with days like today I won't. In both of our futures, you'll give this to me and close the loop that it represents. Even after today I still fully intend for that to happen."

"Thank you Rose," the Doctor said gently before he slipped the journal into his pocket. "I'm not sure it's the wisest choice, but thank you."

"You're welcome," Rose said with a soft flush, unsure of what else to say. "Happy Christmas Doctor."

"Happy Christmas Rose Tyler," the Doctor said with a smile as he reached into the TARDIS. "Of course one thing I know about Rose Tyler is that she loves snow on Christmas."

Then a ball of light shot out from the top of the TARDIS and sailed up into the air. Rose gasped as it exploded like a firework. The greater surprise came a moment later as soft white flakes began to fall from the sky and into the garden.

"Doctor," Rose laughed. "Wow!" 

"Oh, basic atmospheric excitation," the Doctor replied casually, but the pleased smile on his face at Rose's expression gave him away.

Rose grinned as she stuck out her tongue and caught a snowflake on it. Turning her attention back to the Doctor, her smile softened. "Thank you Doctor for being here."

Before she could change her mind, Rose stepped forward and kissed him softly. The Doctor put his arms very loosely around her as he returned the gentle kiss. When they parted a moment later, Rose looked up at him. "We'll both be alright won't we?"

"Well it is Christmas," the Doctor said thoughtfully. "Halfway out of the dark."

Rose was confused for a moment before she understood his meaning. "Yeah, I like that," Rose said with a nod. "Halfway out of the dark." She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Until next time Doctor."

"Until next time Rose Tyler," he paused as he entered the TARIDS and looked back at her. "I love you."

Rose remained silent as he closed the doors of the TARDIS. A moment later the familiar odd wheezing sound echoed in the back yard and the TARDIS vanished. Rose stared at the imprint on the dead grass from the box and sighed loudly. Turning back to her house, she nodded to herself. "Yeah halfway out of the dark." With that thought, Rose walked towards her home, determined that the coming year would be her best yet.


	26. School Reunion: New Year

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Twenty-Six: New Year

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Welcome back everyone. I hope you all had lovely holidays and a great New Year! This chapter is just to kick off this episode which many people have expressed interest in. I think you'll enjoy some of the fun and drama in this episode, but as always please leave me your thoughts.

Rose Marion Tyler was flat on her back and covered with bits of dirt and grime on the floor of Sarah Jane's attic. The attic was a large room at the top of the house with a high ceiling that reflected the rooflines of Sarah Jane's house. Rose adored the strange shape of the room and the windows that lit the space throughout the day. The floor was wooden and had a split level with a few stairs leading up to the main section where the door was. Sarah Jane's desk and computer were tucked back into a corner. Shelves contained items that were clearly alien from Sarah Jane's travels and discoveries on Earth along with books on every subject, all ordered neatly. The walls were covered in news clippings of strange events, a few of Sarah Jane's own articles, and pictures. Rose had been pleased to find an image of a much younger General Lethbridge-Stewart and Colonel Benton. Other images contained names that Rose had heard such at Mike Yates and Harry Sullivan from Sarah Jane's days around UNIT. Two images that always made Rose smile were a pair of photographs that Sarah Jane treasured. One was an older gentleman with white curly hair standing with Sarah Jane and the General. The second image was less formal with a man with curly brown hair lounging in the back of an UNIT jeep. He had a wide grin and was wearing an extremely long scarf over a long coat. Both were photographs of the Doctor, long before he had ever met Rose, and she enjoyed the glimpse they offered of the man her Doctor once was.

In the three weeks since Christmas Eve, Rose had made efforts to get her life in order and fulfill her resolution to deal with the strange realty of her life. She had spoken with the Doctor twice on the phone, just to discuss how his adventures were going, and Rose had the odd sense that he was trying to be a good boyfriend. The very thought of this made her laugh, but she welcomed the attempt on his part. Rose had also made an effort to befriend Sarah Jane and spent time speaking with the older woman about not only her time on the TARDIS, but her life in general.

During a visit to Sarah Jane's for tea, Mister Spock came into the conversation and Sarah Jane had suggested that her attic would be a good place for the Xylok. Of course this didn't surprise Rose since the Doctor had already made a similar remark, but Rose hadn't been fully prepared for the work needed. After transporting all the pieces of Mister Spock's interface to London, Rose had reassembled the current pieces and finished the new ones needed to get the interface working. Johnny had helped her get better computer equipment to finish the massive task of constructing an advanced interface to give the Xylok increased communication, intelligence gathering and monitoring capabilities. The computer technician found the whole thing extremely interesting and, to Rose's relief, understood that the knowledge shouldn't be used in human technology. Rose also found the looks Johnny was giving Sarah Jane whenever he was at the house very amusing. Sarah Jane, herself, had been a champion throughout the whole procedure, even tolerating the floorboards in her attic being ripped up for cabling and the large cooling system needed for Mister Spock.

Sarah Jane had surprised Rose one more time when on the tenth of January she had shown Rose her most closely guarded, K-9. The poor robot hadn't worked in years and Sarah Jane was curious if Rose could fix the poor little dog. With only five more days left of break, Rose found herself now working on a little robot from the year five thousand at the workstation in Sarah Jane's attic. Or at least she had been until Mister Spock started complaining of a bad connection.

"I don't see anything wrong," Rose said as she slid out from under Mister Spock's interface and sat up. "Are you sure that there is a problem?" 

"It is possible that my diagnostics are not functioning properly," Mister Spock replied. "Perhaps if you recheck-"

"Mister Spock," Rose interrupted as she stood up and proceeded to dust herself off. She had worn old blue jeans and a simple t-shirt for working on the system. Her long dark blonde hair was tied up in a messy bun with strands falling into her face. Smirking, Rose turned back to Mister Spock and asked, "Are you jealous of the attention K-9 is getting from me now that your interface is done?"

"Do not be absurd," Mister Spock replied with a slight tone change. "The dog is of no concern of mine."

Rose chuckled and shook her head, "Really, because last week you insisted that all your systems were in perfect condition, but now that I'm working on K-9 up here everything seems to be going wrong." Rose crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow at Mister Spock.

"I am simply concerned with making sure that all my systems are functioning properly before you return to Cambridge," the Xylok responded calmly.

Rose walked up the small set of stairs in the split level attic and picked up what looked like a large cell phone. In fact it was a small computer adapted with some help from Malcolm and Johnny. "Don't worry Mister Spock. I have a communications link directly to you and Cambridge is not that far away. I could be back in London an hour by train. With my jeep it is only a couple of hours."

"I still do not see the point in you spending so much time working on the dog. I am fully capable of meeting all needed functions for yourself and Miss Smith."

Rose stared at Mister Spock for a moment, desperately trying to contain her laughter while a smile tugged at her mouth. "Yes, you are a remarkable sentient computer Mister Spock, but K-9 means a lot to Sarah Jane and she has asked me to see what I can do with him. Her trust means a lot to me so I am going to do what I can."

"This is human interaction," the Xylok responded. "I find it illogical."

"Like your namesake," Rose replied with a chuckle.

The attic door opened before Mister Spock could make any further remarks and Sharon carefully stepped into the room. She hadn't been up in the attic since Rose had started on the project right after Christmas. Thus as her eyes fell onto the new Xylok interface, her jaw went slightly slack.

A large screen dominated the space with a panel of controls slanting out in front of it. Levers, buttons, coils and even a few smaller screens covered the metal surface. On the screen, Mister Spock calmly flashed a colored image of his true crystal form that rotated as he awaited instructions.

"Wow," Sharon said looking over the super computer. "Looking good Mister Spock."

"Thank you Sharon," the Xylok replied neutrally. "This new interface is of superior design and construction."

Rose shook her head and turned to sit down in a chair by the workstation. She ignored the Xylok as she picked up a small probe and moved a wire inside K-9's body. The robot's side panel was off and Rose was examining each aspect carefully.

"Any luck with the dog?" Sharon asked as she walked over to Rose and looked down at the metal dog on the table.

"Afraid not," Rose remarked with the sigh. She pointed to a video camera she had set up behind her. "I'm recording everything for study, but K-9 is from a long ways in the future. He may look retro, but the scanner and sensors inside him are beyond advanced."

"Have you tried talking to Malcolm?" Sharon asked. "I know he'd help you with something like this."

"I suggested it to Sarah Jane, but she really doesn't like the idea of getting UNIT involved. She's afraid that they would take the technology."

"Do you think they would?" Sharon asked with wide eyes.

"I don't think so," Rose said with a smile. "UNIT is really trying to play the good guys now that they've seen it can get them what they want without making enemies. Plus Sarah Jane is an old friend of the Doctor's and UNIT gives us a lot of special treatment."

"So as to not make him an enemy," Sharon observed with a nod. "Rational." Sharon glanced down at the robot dog that had a large side panel open. "So how about taking a break tonight and going out with us?" 

"You want to go out again?" Rose asked with a tired sigh.

"Why not?" Sharon asked with a tilt of her head, letting her long black braids fall to the side of her face as she raised an eyebrow at Rose.

Rose paused, unsure of how to answer Sharon's question. Ever since the incident on Christmas Eve she had made an effort to become more active in more normal activities again rather than bouncing from alien incident to alien incident. She had gone out to a party with Sharon and Shireen on New Year's Eve and finally met their friends from university. Rose had joined the group in several social activities over the last two weeks and was honestly a bit exhausted by it. Still, she had promised herself that she would focus more on living a day-to-day life rather than an alien incident-to-alien incident life, even if it was a touch dull or even really dull.

Sarah Jane entered the attic a moment later with Shireen and a tray of tea. "I've got an appointment with Headmaster Finch in the morning," she announced with a pleased smile. "If it is aliens we can start investigating." Sarah Jane handed Rose a cup of tea and moved so Sharon and Shireen could take some. Rose watched the interaction from the corner of her eye. Sarah Jane hadn't been as certain about meeting Sharon and Shireen, but was doing a good job of dealing with the expanded young social circle. It made for an interesting mix. Two girls whose lives had been impacted by the Doctor through their best friend and yet had never actually met him, and Sarah Jane who had traveled with the Doctor and hadn't seen him in years.

"So what the plan?" Shireen asked as she sat down on a sofa near Sarah Jane's desk. 

"If the answers don't add up then I'll be going back into the school tomorrow night."

"Hard to believe that school is back in session," Sharon whined as she sat down with her own tea and took a sip. "I don't feel ready to head back yet."

"You lot will be back to university next week," Sarah Jane observed. "If it is aliens I want to get it done while Rose is here to help."

"So breaking and entering," Shireen said with a small smile. "Good thing UNIT looks out for the two of you."

Sarah Jane didn't respond to that comment and instead put her tea to the side and stood up from her desk. "Mister Spock," Sarah Jane said as she moved closer to the Xylok. "Please bring up the information we have on Deffry Vale High School."

As the information came up on the large screen, Sarah Jane smiled and crossed her arms over her chest. "I am going to like this system." 

"Well Mister Spock has orders to obey you, same as me," Rose said with a shrug before taking a quick sip of her tea. She didn't bother to look away from K-9.

"What if you have conflicting orders?" Sharon asked with a grin.

"Uh," Rose looked up sheepishly, "My orders take priority." Sarah Jane turned to look at her, "I'm the one who originally reprogrammed him! It makes sense."

Sarah Jane shook her head and then glanced down at K-9, "How is he looking?" 

"Well, if I work on him tonight I should be able to get all the components clean enough to try powering him back on." Rose said with a nod towards Sarah Jane. "I've found a lot of broken connections that I've reconnected so there is a chance that I can get some basic functions working. If I can manage that then K-9 might be able to help guide me through more advanced repairs."

The look of absolute joy and hope on Sarah Jane's face made Rose smile and the touch of guilt she had been carrying for getting the older woman pulled into her drama with the Guardians faded a bit more.

"That would be wonderful Rose," Sarah Jane said once she had recovered a bit. "I've never been able to take him to someone."

"Well it looks like his battery wore down after some connections began to fail," Rose said with a shrug. "This is a solidly built machine."

"He's a good dog," Sarah Jane said with a smile. "I'll be glad to have him back." She gathered up the empty tea cups and set them back on the tray. With one last look over Rose's shoulder at K-9, Sarah Jane headed for the attic door with the tea tray.

Rose turned back to the coils and tubes that dominated the metal dog's internal mechanisms. Without looking up at Sharon, Rose said. "Sorry, I'll be staying in to work on K-9 tonight and tomorrow night I might be breaking into a school."

"Whatever happened to that normal and balanced life you were trying to lead?" Shireen teased from the sofa.

"I've done the girl talk, the shopping with my mum, clubbing with my friends and meeting new normal human people," Rose said with a shrug. She looked up and smiled, "Frankly I think it is time to balance out all that normal with something extraordinary, don't you?" 


	27. School Reunion: Encounter

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Encounter

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: I'm sorry this took so much time, but I got back to work and found a large stack in my inbox which had to take priority. Thank you for all the well wishes and yes I had a lovely Christmas with my entire family present! My year is off to a brilliant start despite the work load and I have a feeling that 2012 is going be wonderful. I hope all of you can say the same. I'm still really busy, but I'll try to update at least once a week. Things should settle within a few weeks.

It wasn't that Rose had overestimated herself or anything quite like that; it was that she had underestimated how long it would take for the poor robot dog to build up enough of a charge to speak or even move. Thus at ten o'clock at night, Sarah Jane had banished Rose from her home until the next morning, promising that she would call Rose if there were any sudden changes. Rose shrugged it off and headed for her own home on Bannerman Road, just a few doors down, while wishing that she had a sonic screwdriver. It probably could have sped up the recharging process incredibly.

Jackie was still awake in front of the telly when Rose came into the house. Smiling, Rose hung up her trench coat and moved into the room to see what Jackie was doing. Her mum was halfway through a romantic comedy and Rose snorted, causing Jackie to look up at her.

"Alright, just for that you're watching the rest," Jackie replied with a smug look. "Come on."

"Mum," Rose whined. "Romances really aren't my thing."

"You can manage watching the telly with your mother for forty minutes," Jackie replied calmly. "Sit down and I'll explain."

"Don't bother," Rose said as she sat down and removed her boots. "Just point out the plucky, but narrow sighted woman and the seemingly harsh, but really has a good heart man and I should be good."

Jackie shook her head at Rose's smirk, "I wonder about you sometimes."

"Only sometimes?" Rose teased which earned her a laugh from Jackie.

"Only sometimes," Jackie verified. "Most of the time, I'm too busy being proud."

Rose blinked at her mother, but Jackie was already engrossed in the latest scene that appeared to be the part where the couple had a huge fight that could have been avoided simply by one of them asking to verify what they had thought the other one had said. The sentiment of Jackie's statement warmed Rose. Her mother didn't talk to her like that often, but knowing that it was such a basic fact in her mother's eyes made Rose smile. She even watched the rest of the movie without complaint. Once the film was over, Rose kissed Jackie's cheek and headed upstairs for what she hoped would be a good night's sleep. After all, Eve had told her that there were aliens at the school and once Sarah Jane knew it they would be spending the next night checking out everything there.

Rose slept later than she meant to the next day and only awoke when she heard her mother singing along with the radio as she got ready for work down the hall. Blinking, Rose rolled over and looked at her clock, and then she sat up in alarm when she saw that the clock was saying that it was ten. She leapt out of bed and checked the alarm, groaning when she discovered that she had forgotten to set it the night before. Rose rushed around the room, gathering up a few things, before she darted into the toilet for a shower. Calling out a quick greeting to her mother, Rose shut the door and started getting ready for her day.

Twenty minutes later, Rose had her damp hair twisted up on top of her head in a braided bun and was dressed in simple dark jeans and a dark green scoop neck sweater as she knocked on Sarah Jane's door. It only took a few moments for the door to swing open and Sarah Jane to appear in the doorway smiling. "I was wondering," Sarah Jane said with a slight teasing tone.

"Sorry," Rose said with a helpless shrug, "Didn't turn the alarm on."

"I see," Sarah Jane said. "Well don't worry about it." Sarah Jane grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her towards the stairs. "Come on upstairs." 

"Has K-9 started up again?" Rose asked. "I wasn't sure how long the battery recharge would take." 

"Upstairs," Sarah Jane repeated simply as she rushed up the stairs. "Come on, I have to go to that meeting with Headmaster Finch and I want to introduce you. I was about to call your house."

"Alright alright," Rose laughed as she followed Sarah Jane into the attic.

Sarah Jane's energy was infectious as Rose followed up the tall staircase to the attic door. Swinging it open, Sarah Jane moved into the room and stepped to the side so Rose could see K-9 sitting in an open space in front of Mister Spock.

"K-9," Sarah Jane called happily as she moved forward. "I'd like you to meet a friend of mine."

K-9 slowly turned and Rose examined the motions. Clearly the small machine was still lacking in power reserves and its controls were sluggish. She'd have to speak with the little machine about it. "This is Rose Tyler," Sarah Jane said, "She's the one who fixed you."

"Uh hello K-9," Rose greeted as she dropped to one knee to speak with the dog. "How are you this morning?"

"62 % of functionality has been restored," K-9 replied in a robotic voice. "Energy reserves are low, but rising."

"Good," Rose said. "Well, now that you are functional, at least a little bit, you can guide me through further repairs. Is that alright?"

"Acceptable Mistress Rose," K-9 replied.

"Rose, must I share the attic with the dog," Mister Spock complained from the wall causing Rose to look over. "It is exceptionally irritating."

"Do not exceed your function Mister Spock," K-9 replied quickly, moving so that he was once again facing the large computer interface.

"Oh not again," Sarah Jane groaned softly. "They've been like this all morning," she said softly to Rose.

"Snarking computers," Rose chuckled. "That wasn't an issue I was expecting."

"K-9," Sarah Jane said to regain the dog's attention.

"Yes Mistress?" The dog asked as he turned back to Sarah Jane.

"I have to go do an interview. It is a potential alien site so if there is trouble we may need you tonight." Sarah Jane glanced at Rose, "Can you work on him today?" 

"That's why I'm here," Rose responded. "Uh, I actually skipped breakfast at home so can I raid your kitchen for something?"

"Of course," Sarah Jane replied with a chuckle and a shake of her head. "Just when I forget you are just a teenager, you remind me."

Rose shrugged, unsure of how to respond and looked back at K-9. "Thanks Sarah Jane. I'll see what I can get done today. " Turning back to Sarah Jane, Rose added, "Be careful."

"I will be," Sarah Jane promised before she patted K-9 on the head. "Be a good dog for Rose K-9, I'll be back soon."

"Affirmative Mistress," the little machine responded.

"It is so good to have you back," Sarah Jane said with a wide smile before she gave Rose a quick hug and headed for the door. "I should be back in the afternoon, just after the school is let out."

Rose nodded her understanding and followed Sarah Jane down the stairs to the front door. She watched the older woman gather up her things. "Remember, be careful," Rose said, briefly considering telling Sarah Jane outright that there were aliens at the school. She thought better of it. Letting Sarah Jane take the lead for a while seemed to be making things easier and she had no doubt the long time investigative reporter and former time traveler would notice the signs. Instead, she gave Sarah Jane another quick hug and watched her walk out to her car. Rose quickly reheated some Chinese food from Sarah Jane's refrigerator and headed back into the attic to eat and start working on more repairs for K-9.

"A sentient life form is a much stronger basis for a computerized system," Mister Spock was arguing as Rose stepped into the attic. "Simple artificial intelligence lacks creative ability and can only react based on programming."

"Crystalline structure of Xylok results in program-like system," K-9 responded from in front of the massive screen. "Were you not reprogrammed by Mistress Rose? Therefore your argument is illogical."

Rose groaned and sat down to eat her food. The snarking computers were a bit amusing, but she was starting to worry about how long Sarah Jane's patience with them would last. Mister Spock

finally quieted down when Rose opened K-9 back up and started repairing his inner systems, following the dog's instructions carefully as she did so.

Sarah Jane returned at four o'clock with a deep frown on her face. She stormed into the attic, tossed her bag on the sofa and looked straight at Rose. "It is aliens," Sarah Jane said firmly. "They are doing something to those children."

"Well then," Rose said. "According to the records Mister Spock hacked, the school locks down at eight o'clock when the cleaners leave."

"Then we go in at nine, just in case they are delayed," Sarah Jane said before she launched into a detailed account of her time at the school. Her focus was strongly on the odd behavior of the students and some of the teachers that had come with Mister Finch. When Sarah Jane was finished, Rose calmly took out her phone and called Sharon and Shireen with the plan. Now all they had to do was pass the time until the school closed. Sarah Jane went to her computer and started working on more research while Rose turned her attention back to K-9. In light of possible hostile aliens being encountered tonight, K-9 had turned Rose's attention to his weapon system. Rose felt that this was a wise choice.

At nine o'clock that night, Rose carefully unloaded K-9 from the back of Sarah Jane's car as the older woman calmly surveyed the brick building in front of them. A moment later a sporty two door pulled up next to them. Rose smiled as Sharon and Shireen climbed out. Her friends glanced down at K-9 and Shireen raised her eyebrow.

"K-9, these are my friends Sharon and Shireen."

"Greetings," K-9 replied.

"Uh, hi K-9," Sharon replied with a glance at Shireen.

"Yes, hello K-9," Shireen added.

"Come on," Sarah Jane suddenly said. "We should be able to get inside through a back window. During the tour earlier, I made sure I unlocked one."

"Oh goody," Sharon said as they started to follow Sarah Jane around the building. "Climbing through windows."

"You can leave if you want," Rose said with a smirk.

"No," Sharon said quickly. "We always miss the action. Not tonight." Stepping closer to Rose, she asked, "Did you call him about this?"

"No," Rose said quickly. "If things go bad I'll call him, but humans can deal with some things themselves."

"Alright, alright," Sharon said. "I'm on your side remember?"

"Sorry," Rose said. "Still trying to sort stuff out."

"Enough chatter," Sarah Jane said from in front of them. "Here we go. I'll climb in first and Rose, you hand K-9 in to me."

"Yes Sarah Jane," Rose replied quickly and she moved forward to help the older woman climb in through the window. She handed K-9 through and then climbed in herself. Sharon and Shireen followed them.

"This is strange," Rose said as they slowly moved into the main corridor. "When I was a kid I used to think all the teachers slept in school. Good thing I was wrong."

"I'm going to check Finch's office," Sarah Jane said. "Rose check the Maths Department; that's where all the new teachers are. Sharon and Shireen check out the kitchen." 

"The kitchen?" Shireen asked.

"Finch talked about the school dinners and many children have gotten ill," Sarah Jane explained. "There may be something there. Meet back here in fifteen minutes."

"Alright," Rose said with a nod as she watched Sarah Jane quickly head for Finch's office. Then she pulled out a sheet of paper with the layout of the school on it and handed it to Sharon and Shireen. "Here, you'll need this. You did bring torches like I said?"

"Of course," Sharon said as she held up her small torch. "We've heard enough stories from you to know the basics so relax."

"Sorry," Rose said with a smile. "Alright be careful."

Rose headed for the math department, but a strange screeching noise made her freeze in her tracks. She heard something like the sound of beating wings behind her and spun around to look down the corridor. There was nothing there, but then Rose heard the sound again further away. Frowning, Rose headed for the sound as she tried to move quickly, but quietly.

Far ahead, Rose saw a tall figure striding down the corridor past her. She blinked in surprise as she recognized the profile even in the dim light and the coat billowing behind him. He vanished through a fire door a moment later. "Doctor," she whispered, knowing that he wouldn't hear her. A smile tugged at her lips and Rose headed for the door that he had passed through.

Rose quietly entered the room behind the Doctor and paused as she found him standing in a spot of light and calmly waiting for something. She was about to get his attention when Sarah Jane backed into the room with a stunned expression.

"Hello Sarah Jane," the Doctor said calmly.

"Doctor," Sarah Jane gasped. "You're here."

Rose backed up to wait by the door as Sarah Jane turned her attention to the Doctor. K-9 rolled up in front of the Doctor. "Master."

The Doctor dropped down and patted the robot dog on the head. "Hello K-9," the Doctor said. "Have you been taking care of Sarah while she investigates this school?"

"Affirmative," the robot responded.

"What are you doing here?" Sarah Jane asked, drawing the Doctor's attention away from the dog.

"Well... UFO sightings, school gets record results - I couldn't resist. What about you?" The Doctor asked as he stood back up and shoved his hands into his pockets. Rose wished that she could see his face, but waited calmly by the door.

"Same," Sarah Jane said and then she swallowed, "Rose just fixed K-9 last night in fact."

"Really?" the Doctor said looking down at the little robot. "All systems functioning?"

"85% of all systems are functional, Master," K-9 replied.

"Good," the Doctor said. "I think I have a job for you. Donna should have the oil by now."

A sudden crash made Rose flinch and a sharp yell a split second later surprised her. The Doctor spun to look towards the door. His eyes widened as he spotted Rose and he gave her a wide grin. Rose nodded in greeting to him, smiling softly as she pushed the door open. "Come on then Doctor, Sarah Jane," Rose said before she started rushing towards the noise.

Rose could hear Sarah Jane and the Doctor following her, but she managed to beat them both to the dining hall where the noise had come from. She skidded to a halt and bit her lip to keep from laughing. A red haired woman, older than Rose, was shouting at Sharon and Shireen who were both gaping at her in shock.

"Donna," the Doctor said as he joined Rose in the dining hall. "Keep it down."

The woman, Donna, turned her gaze on him and gestured to Sharon and Shireen, "But look!"

"I know," the Doctor said with a sigh. "Do you have the oil?"

"Yeah," Donna said as her eyes settled on Rose and Sarah Jane. She held up a small jar, "But what is going on?" 

"This is Sarah Jane," the Doctor said with a sigh, "That is Sharon and Shireen." The Doctor paused, "And this is Rose."

Donna's eyes widened and she fixed her eyes on Rose. "You're Rose," Donna said in confusion. "But I thought-"

"You're the Doctor?" Shireen cut in as she stepped forward. "We've never actually met." 

"Not in your timeline anyway," the Doctor replied with a chuckle. "Of course, so far when I've been around you've been trapped by the Pied Piper, in a painting or evacuating students." 

"True," Shireen said with a shrug. "It is nice to finally meet you."

The Doctor shook her and Sharon's hands as Donna walked up to him. "This is Donna Noble. She travels with me."

"Doctor," Donna asked. "What is going on?" She pointed at K-9, "And what is that?" 

"They're on our side," the Doctor said as he glanced around the room. The Doctor took Rose's hand and shook his head to Donna. Rose noticed Sarah Jane glance at their hands, but she didn't say anything. "Later Donna; I still need to check the Headmaster's office." He gently tugged on her hand and Rose sighed softly, but allowed herself to be lead out of the dining hall.

"So you're traveling with Donna," Rose asked in a low voice as they walked down the hall, followed by the others.

"Yes," the Doctor said. "You wanted me to."

"I did," Rose agreed. "She seems…. nice."

"When she wants to be," the Doctor replied with a chuckle.

Rose smiled at him and glanced over her shoulder to where Sarah Jane and Donna were talking behind them.

"So you're Sarah Jane," Donna said. "It is nice to meet you, I wasn't sure that I ever would. The Doctor speaks highly of you and your work protecting the Earth."

Sarah Jane glowed at Donna's words and grinned, "Well it is nice to meet you as well Donna..."

"Oh I'm Donna Noble," the red haired woman supplied. "So tell me, has he always been such a bad driver?"

"Oi," the Doctor said. "Hush, we're almost there."

Everyone quieted at the Doctor's words and he released Rose's hand to pull out the sonic screwdriver as they arrived at the door to the Headmaster's office. As the door swung open Rose could hear a strange hissing sound, almost like breathing, but couldn't see into the room around the Doctor.

"Rose... you know how you used to think all the teachers slept in the school? Well... they do." He pushed open the door enough so Rose and the others could see the thirteen large bat creatures hanging from the roof of the office.

"Yikes," Sharon whispered as she backed up out of the room.

The others followed her out of the room and the Doctor shut the door behind them. Sharon and Shireen led the group to the exit, both shaking slightly. Rose realized with a start that they had never actually encountered a hostile alien face-to-face, a fact she had overlooked.

Once outside, Sharon took a shaky breath and turned to the Doctor. "What are those things and why are they here?"

"When Finch arrived, he brought with him seven new teachers, four dinner ladies and a nurse. Thirteen. Thirteen big bat people."

"Those are the new staff members?" Sarah Jane said in surprise.

"As for who they are and why they're here, I don't know that yet. I've got to analyze that oil from the kitchen."

"So where is the TARDIS?" Rose asked.

"My functions include sensors Mistress Rose," K-9 said from his place by Sarah Jane. "Master not all sensors functioning at optimum level." 

"No," the Doctor looked at Rose with a smirk. "Losing your touch Rose?" 

"He's from the 51st century," Rose said putting her hands on her hips. "I only have 21st century technology to fix him."

"Then it is a good thing I have this," the Doctor replied with a grin as he held up the sonic screwdriver. He pointed at a chip shop across from the car park. "That'll do."


	28. School Reunion: Krillitanes in the Night

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Krillitanes in the Night

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: This is going to be a bit of an experiment since we all know about the aliens and plot, I'll be focusing a bit more on the character interactions than I normally would over the plot. Please let me know how the balance is since I'll be doing more episode rewrites in the future and I want to sort out how much of the alien exposition is still needed without it being too long and repetitive.

The chip shop was fairly empty, with only one person still working the counter. The woman gave them an odd look as they walked into the shop; an odd blend of people with a strange robot dog. The Doctor, of course, ignored this and lifted K-9 up onto a table by the front window. He powered the small robot down and quickly opened the side panel up. The Doctor slipped his glasses on and started inspecting Rose's work. Rose shifted, unsure of what to do with herself before the Doctor started questioning her about the repairs she did on K-9. Relieved, Rose sat down next to him and started pointing out the exact repairs she had done.

"What about the oil Doctor?" Donna asked with a huff as she held out the small bottle that had thick oil in it which was yellowish with a slightly green tint.

"I need to verify that all of K-9's sensors are working first," the Doctor replied without looking at his companion, "we need the reading to be accurate."

Donna set the bottle on the edge of the table. "Fine then, but I'm getting chips." The red head then turned on her heel and stalked up to the counter.

"I like her," Sarah Jane said with a chuckle. She glanced at the Doctor who was engrossed in examining K-9. He made no signs of having heard her. Rose offered her a shrug and a smile. "Rose, do you want some chips?" Sarah Jane asked.

"Uh," Rose turned to look at the Doctor who was prodding her work. Turning back to Sarah Jane, Rose nodded and said, "Yeah, thanks."

Sarah Jane gave the Doctor one last long look before she joined Donna at the counter. Sharon and Shireen had already gotten some chips and were sitting at a nearby table observing the Doctor. Rose glanced at the Doctor before she stood up and walked over to them.

"You alright?" Rose asked her friends as she pulled out a seat.

"Fine," Sharon replied as she sipped her drink and snatched up another chip. She motioned towards the Doctor and said, "He's cute."

"Yeah, he is," Shireen agreed. "Those glasses are really-"

"Moving on," Rose interrupted with a small smile as she shook her head.

"What?" Sharon asked in a low voice. "He's your boyfriend and we're your friends."

"I've asked you not to refer to him as that," Rose said with a quick glance over at Donna and Sarah Jane. "It's too juvenile."

"Plus you don't want Sarah Jane overhearing us," Shireen said with a smirk. "Someday she's going to find out."

"If I was traveling with this version it wouldn't be an issue," Rose defended. "But the temporal complexity of it all means that the more people who know, the greater chance that someone will say something at the wrong time and change an event."

"I sort of understood that," Shireen replied with a smile. "Fine, no boyfriend talk."

Sarah Jane and Donna joined them a moment later, sitting at a small table right next to them. They were already laughing at something making Rose smile and become a little worried. Sarah Jane handed Rose a small plate of chips.

"So he seriously mistook Aberdeen for Croydon?" Donna asked with a laugh.

"Yes," Sarah Jane replied with a wide smile. "I'm back on Earth for only one minute before I realize that he got it wrong!"

"That's it, I'm never letting him leave me on Earth unless he double checks the date and place," Donna said firmly.

"How long have you been traveling with him?" Sarah Jane asked.

"Not long," Donna replied as she glanced quickly at Rose. "I met him not long after another companion left the TARDIS. I think it has been about three months." 

"Rose, come here," the Doctor called from K-9. 

Rose smiled at the others, but quickly stood, grabbing her chips and joined the Doctor. "What do you need Doctor?" 

"This connection here," the Doctor said, pointing to one of the many reconnected wires, "did you-"

"Don't want me speaking to Donna then," Rose said with a knowing smile. "There is nothing that I did with K-9 that you don't understand."

"It's complicated having you near her," the Doctor replied quickly. "Donna knows that you are missing and were involved with me." 

"She hasn't said anything," Rose assured him. "She keeps looking at me strangely, but she hasn't said anything."

"Good," the Doctor replied. "That could damage the time lines. You shouldn't be interacting with people from your future too much." 

"I interact with you," Rose reminded him.

"I'm a Time Lord," the Doctor replied. "I just don't want what Donna knows to upset our time line."

"Okay," Rose said gently. "I understand." She smiled when the Doctor turned to look at her. "It's okay."

The Doctor gave a quick nod and turned back to K-9. "For twenty-first century technology, you did really well," he said a moment later before he closed the side of K-9. He dug into his pocket for a moment and then pulled out a sleek black and silver pen with a very familiar blue crystal on the end. "Here, this should help."

"This looks like your sonic screwdriver," Rose said a low voice.

"Sonic pen; took it off of a rather nasty alien nanny," the Doctor said. "I was going to toss it, but thought you'd be able to use it."

"Alien nanny," Rose repeated as she examined the pen. "Being with you is like tossing opposite words together and seeing what comes up." She grinned at him as he turned to look at her. The Doctor returned the warm smile and shifted his hand to quickly squeeze Rose's. "Thank you Doctor," Rose added and she slipped the pen into her pocket. "Tosh and I are still a few years away from a proper sonic probe."

"Your chips are getting cold," the Doctor pointed out with a nod towards the plate.

"Sad," Rose said dramatically, "but since I'm going to be maintaining K-9, I'd better see how things are supposed to work." Rose paused and tilted her head. "That is of course, unless you've got a manual somewhere?" 

"Sorry," the Doctor replied, "but no."

"Figures," Rose said with a nod, "I have a hard time imagining you with a manual." 

"I used to have a manual for the TARDIS," the Doctor defended. He paused before he added, "Of course I would tear out pages that I thought were silly."

A sudden loud bout of laughing from the other table made Rose and the Doctor both turn. Sarah Jane was wiping her eyes and Donna was banging her hand on the table. Sharon and Shireen both had an odd, stunned look on their faces. Beside Rose the Doctor groaned. "This is why companions shouldn't meet each other." He turned to Rose and said, "And sadly you keep introducing them."

Rose raised an eyebrow, "Only Sarah Jane and the Chestertons." Rose leaned closer to the Doctor with a mischievous smile. "Does that mean I'll be meeting more companions in the future?" 

"Don't," the Doctor replied in a firm tone, but his seriousness didn't work because of the smile he gave her.

"Oh well, I'll find out what they were talking about later from Sharon and Shireen," Rose said as she selected another chip. "After abducting Ian and Barbara, I imagine things improved from there."

"For the most part," the Doctor agreed as he selected one last wire and used his sonic screwdriver. "That should do it."

K-9 powered back on as the Doctor jumped to his feet and waited for the dog to finish booting up. Rose smiled and rose to her feet, standing just to the side of the Doctor.

"Master," K-9 said a moment later, "All systems are functioning."

"Brilliant," the Doctor replied with a wide smile.

Sarah Jane and the others quickly walked over as the Doctor reached for the jar of oil.

"Careful," Donna warned, "One of the dinner ladies got some of it on her and burst into flame."

"I'm no dinner lady," the Doctor replied quickly. He then added, "And I don't often say that."

The Doctor opened the small jar and dipped his finger into it, swirling it so he had a glob on his fingertip. Rose relaxed; realizing that Donna's warning had bothered her. A long sensor slid out of K-9's head with a soft whirr and the Doctor smeared the oil on the soft red round disk.

"Oil. Ex- ex- ex- extract ana- an- analyzing..." K-9 said as his head moved slightly.

"This is our life," Shireen said around a giggle, "First Mister Spock and now K-9." She looked at Sarah Jane and added, "You poor woman."

"Ah, so you've set Mister Spock up in Sarah Jane's attic?" the Doctor asked Rose.

"Yes," Rose said, "they like to fight."

"Hold on," Sarah Jane said, "You knew about that?"

"Past meets future," the Doctor replied with a nervous shrug. "My time line in comparison to Rose's is… odd." He was saved from having to explain to Sarah Jane in more depth by K-9.

"Confirmation of analysis - substance is Krillitane Oil."

Rose watched a shocked expression take over the Doctor's face as he breathed, "They're Krillitanes."

"And that's bad?" Donna asked.

"Very bad," the Doctor replied. "Think of how bad things could possibly be, and add another suitcase full of bad."

"And what are... Krillitanes?" Sarah Jane asked quickly.

"They're a composite race. Just like your culture is a mixture of traditions from all sorts of countries - people you've invaded or have been invaded by, you've got bits- bits of Viking, bits of France, bits of whatever - the Krillitanes are the same." The Doctor explained, "An amalgam of the races they've conquered. But they take physical aspects as well. They cherry-pick the best bits from the people they destroy. That's why I didn't recognize them. The last time I saw Krillitanes, they looked just like us except they had really long necks."

"Why are they on Earth?" Shireen asked, crossing her arms.

"It's the children." The Doctor breathed, looking out the window at the school. "They're doing something to the children."

"Aliens in a school," Rose said softly to herself before looking up at the Doctor. "Could they be using their imaginations?"

"Why do you say that?" The Doctor asked, turning to Rose quickly.

"When Apep was using older children to get to Horath it was because they possessed enough knowledge and structured thinking to be useful as computers, but they also had imagination and creativity that wasn't in the adults they tried. That's why they ended up using teenagers, the same age as those in that school."

The Doctor blinked at Rose, a dark look passing over his face. He grabbed his coat and stalked out of the chip shop. Donna blinked at him and followed, shooting a questioning glance back at Rose. Sarah Jane patted K-9 on the head and turned to Shireen. "Help me get him into my car."

Rose watched Shireen and Sharon start helping Sarah Jane before she followed the Doctor and Donna outside. Donna was talking to the Doctor in a low voice that Rose couldn't hear. He looked tense, but relaxed slightly when he turned to see her watching them. Taking that as a signal, Rose moved forward to join them.

"Any thoughts on their plot?" she asked with a nod towards the building.

"Maybe," the Doctor said, "Hard to narrow down, the imagination of a child is a powerful thing. Human children in mass have a lot of energy through their combined imaginations." The Doctor paused and look back at the school. "We'll need to come back in the morning and see how the children actually operate in the maths department. That's the only way I'll know for sure."

"Can't you end it now?" Donna asked with a gesture towards the building.

"They need the children," the Doctor said firmly. "They won't harm them. I need to see what they are connected to. Depending on the system, shutting it down might harm the children."

"So back to the TARDIS?" Donna asked with a raised eyebrow. "Of course that means going through the school full of bat people. What's your plan for that Time Lord?"

Rose smiled at Donna's attitude; she was definitely a strong personality. Pausing, she looked up at the school and frowned. On the roof line were two odd shapes, both moving. Focusing on the forms, Rose made out the shape of wings and then heard a loud flap. In the light of the moon she suddenly saw a large bat-like creature swoop down towards them with a loud screech.

"Down," Rose snapped to the Doctor and Donna as she dropped low.

The Krillitane swung upwards and flew away from them. Slowly, Rose stood and looked at it up in the sky. "Why did it break off?" Donna asked. "That was strange."

"Maybe it just wanted to scare us off," Rose suggested, aware that the Doctor was glaring up at the Krillitane.

"Are you alright?" Sarah Jane asked as she ran up with Sharon and Shireen. "Was that a Krillitane?"

"That's them," the Doctor said with a nod. "I suggest we wait for morning somewhere that isn't here." 

"My house isn't too far," Sarah Jane said with a smile.

"Oh good," Rose said with a smirk. "We can hear Mister Spock, K-9 and the Doctor argue theoretical physics."

"Or they could go to your home," Sarah Jane replied as they started walking towards the cars.

"My mum doesn't know about aliens," Rose said. "And I'm going to keep it that way for as long as possible." Rose turned to Sharon and Shireen and quickly said, "Thank you for coming, but you can head off if you like." 

"And miss this?" Sharon asked with a chuckle. "No way."

Rose sighed and shook her head. "I had to try." To her surprise the Doctor didn't argue with the plan, but with the TARDIS out of his reach she supposed he didn't have a lot of choices. Still, he didn't look thrilled with the idea. Rose gave him a wide smile as she climbed into the car. "At least Ian and Barbara aren't here."

"Who are Ian and Barbara?" Donna asked as she slid in next to Rose.

The Doctor's only response was to sigh, loudly.

The Doctor didn't speak much on the short drive to Sarah Jane's. Instead Sarah Jane filled the silence by talking to Donna about the things she'd seen. Apparently the red head had seen a few creatures that Sarah Jane had seen before and the two started comparing notes. Rose listened to the conversation calmly and wished that she had just gone to Sarah Jane's with Sharon and Shireen. Of course, the Doctor never would have ridden in their car lest he face questions from her best friends, so that would have been dull too.

When they arrived back at the house, it was nearly midnight and Rose quickly unloaded K-9 as Shireen pulled up behind them. The strange group entered Sarah Jane's house and Sarah Jane and Donna vanished into the kitchen. Sitting down next to Rose, the Doctor quietly asked, "Mister Spock does know not to mention our relationship to Sarah Jane right?" 

"Yes Doctor," Rose said with a nod. "I programmed him not to reveal that we are anything special," Rose shrugged. "I understand the potential risk to the timelines; at least, I understand enough to know that it is a risk."

"Right," the Doctor said with a nod. "Of course you do."

"Excuse me," Shireen said, sitting in an armchair by them. "But I'm pretty sure that now is the time where Sharon and I threaten you if you ever hurt Rose."

"Yeah," the Doctor nodded with a smile, "This probably is the time."

"You ruin the atmosphere when you're cheerful about it," Sharon complained with an eye roll. "I suppose this body is at least cute."

Rose shook her head, "I'm going to see if I can help Sarah Jane and Donna." 

"Oh good, then we can interrogate him," Sharon said playfully.

"Be careful Sharon," Rose warned as she stood up. "You get him talking and he is very hard to shut up." Rose glanced towards the kitchen. "Speaking of such methods, I haven't greeted you properly."

Rose smiled and leaned down to quickly kiss the Doctor. She pulled back just as quickly and winked at her friends. Turning on her heel, Rose walked down the hall and into the kitchen where Sarah Jane and Donna were laughing again.

"Does he still stroke bits of the TARDIS?" Sarah Jane asked around her giggles.

"Only all the time," Donna said with a dramatic eye roll. "I've actually asked him if I need to leave the room."

"Oh, I would have loved to see that," Sarah Jane said with a laugh. "Swapping stories is so much fun."

"I think I need to meet Ian and Barbara now," Donna said. "They sound like fun."

"I think you and Barbara would get along far too well," Rose observed to announce her presence. "I'm actually scared on the Doctor's behalf imagining that meeting."

Sarah Jane paused and then nodded while she looked at Donna, "Yes, I see your point Rose." 

"You do realize that you're only making me want to meet her even more," Donna said with a shake of her head. "I mean, I knew I wasn't the first person he traveled with, but I never expected to meet any of the others."

"Yes, welcome to the Companion's Club," Sarah Jane said.

"Companion's Club?" Donna asked with wide eyes.

"That's what Rose calls it," Sarah Jane said. "Made up of former companions and a future companion," Sarah Jane nodded towards Rose. "I suppose a current companion makes sense."

"Donna," Rose asked suddenly, "What year are you from? Now?"

"No." Donna shook her head. "Right now the present version of me is working as a temp. I'm actually from 2012, crazy as that sounds." Donna paused, "And he wouldn't even let me invest the money I was paid for being a dinner lady in bonds."

Sarah Jane shook her head and picked up the tray of tea. "Rose, will you get some biscuits? It's going to be a long night."

Rose nodded as Sarah Jane left the kitchen, very aware that she was now alone with Donna. She got a tray out from the cupboard and opened a new box of biscuits. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Donna lean against the counter and watch her.

"Do you know?" Donna asked softly. "She said that you will travel with the Doctor, so you know about that?"

"Yes, I know about that," Rose said as she pulled out her TARDIS key. "I'm the future companion, once I finish school and in the meantime I just meet him out-of-order." Rose paused, "But yes, I also know about my disappearance. I told him to find someone to travel with now that I'm gone and that's you." 

"You know," Donna said softly staring at Rose in shock. "Wait so you know that potentially horrible fate awaits you and you don't care?" 

"I care," Rose said quickly. "He even tried to talk me out of coming with him in my future."

"When?" 

"Oh, a while ago in his past," Rose said with a shrug. "Like I said, we meet out of order."

"But, you're still going to do it?" Donna asked, "Even knowing that something is going to happen to you?"

"Yes," Rose said, turning to face Donna now. "Yes I am." Rose took a breath. "It's easy to look at it and say that I should avoid this potentially horrible fate by changing my life now, but…" Rose stopped for a moment, "but I could be hit by a bus tomorrow. We don't know what will happen, most of us anyway. I know that my future with the Doctor might not be perfect, but I believe that I'll be happy. I'll take short and happy over long and miserable." Rose picked up the plate of biscuits. "You're traveling with him and it is dangerous, why?"

"Cause the travel is worth the Doctor," Donna said making Rose laugh.

"Close enough to understand," Rose said with a nod. "My life has consequences like anyone else's; I just get mine in a weird order."

"Rose? Donna?" Sarah Jane called, "Everything alright?" 

"Fine," Rose said as she headed for the kitchen door. "We're coming."

"I think you're mad," Donna said as they headed for the others. "But I can see why he loves you."

"And I can see why he likes you."


	29. School Reunion: The Skasis Paradigm

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Skasis Paradigm

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Thanks all for the great feedback! This chapter is a lot of repeat from the original, but I think you'll like the ending scene for the climax which is different from the original.

Two cars swung into the Deffry Vale High School lot in the morning just as the school opened its doors. Rose glanced at the Doctor who had a dark hard look on his face. She recognized that look from her first meeting with this incarnation of the Doctor. and his previous incarnation. Donna and Sarah Jane exchanged a quick look with each other as they moved towards the school.

"Donna and Sarah, go to the maths department and crack open the computers. I need to see the hardware inside. Here, you might need this," the Doctor said as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and handed it to Sarah Jane. "Better take K-9 with you," he said, glancing down at the dog.

"Into a school?" Donna asked.

"His systems are all working so he can help you," the Doctor said.

"Just say that he is part of a new robotics program," Rose suggested with a shrug.

"Sharon and Shireen," the Doctor continued without any reaction to Rose's statement. "Surveillance, use your mobiles if anything unusual happens."

"Do you even have a phone?" Sharon asked.

"Call Rose, she'll be with me," the Doctor replied calmly before he started walking towards the school again.

"Be careful," Rose said quickly to Sharon and Shireen. "You have UNIT's number, right?"

"Yes," Shireen replied. "We'll sound the alarm if needed," she promised.

"Good," Rose said, hugging them both quickly. "Good luck," she called to Donna and Sarah Jane before she chased after the Doctor.

Rose stayed near the Doctor, but the tension radiating off of him kept her silent. His eyes kept checking the children that were passing them by. Then he suddenly leaned over a rail and stared down several floors. Rose glanced down to see a tall, smartly dressed man that she recognized as Mister Finch from Sarah Jane's description. She took a step back from the rail and out of the way of the Doctor and the children rushing to class. Mister Finch turned away from the Doctor and continued down the hall. Rose felt the Doctor slip his hand into hers and they continued up the stairs.

The Doctor did a quick round of the school, checking for anything else strange and never releasing Rose's hand, but not saying anything. Something was bothering him, Rose realized; something about them, something about her. Still, she didn't ask him what it was, deciding that it could wait until the Krillitanes were dealt with. They walked down to the school swimming pool and Rose saw Mister Finch waiting for them, standing on the opposite side of the pool.

"Wait here," the Doctor said as he walked forward towards Finch. Rose frowned, but slipped her hand into her pocket where her new sonic pen was. The Doctor walked calmly along the pool, hands in the pocket of his trench coat. "Who are you?" The Doctor questioned Finch.

"My name is Brother Lassa. And you?"

"The Doctor. Since when did Krillitanes have wings?"

"It's been our form for nearly ten generations, now. Our ancestors invaded Bessan. The people there had some rather lovely wings. They made a million widows in one day, just imagine."

"And now you're shaped human," the Doctor observed.

"A personal favourite, that's all," Mister Finch replied with a small smile.

"And the others?"

"My brothers remain bat form. What you see is a simple morphic illusion. Scratch the surface and the true Krillitane lies beneath."

Rose blinked as they both started walking along the pool to the far side almost at the same time. She watched the Doctor carefully.

"And what of the Time Lords? I always thought of you as such a pompous race. Ancient, dusty senators, so frightened of change and... chaos. And of course - they're all but extinct. Only you. The last," Mister Finch observed with a light tone that made Rose wince.

"This plan of yours - what is it?" The Doctor asked.

Mister Finch's glee seemed to increase as he said, "You don't know."

"That's why I'm asking," the Doctor said simply. Rose barely heard the Doctor's answer as the two came face to face.

"Well, show me how clever you are. Work it out."

"If I don't like it... then it will stop."

"Fascinating. Your people were peaceful to the point of indolence. You seem to be something new. Would you declare war on us, Doctor?" Finch asked with a tone much lighter than ever Rose could have managed when faced with the Doctor's anger.

"I'm so old, now. I used to have so much mercy," the Doctor said so quietly that Rose nearly missed it, even with the echo qualities of the room. "You get one warning. That was it."

The Doctor turned back to Rose and started walking towards her while Mister Finch said, "But we're not even enemies. Soon... you will embrace us." The Doctor fixed his eyes on Rose and did not turn back to Finch, even as the alien added, "The next time we meet, you will join with me. I promise you."

Rose frowned at the knowing smile on Finch's face as he examined her for a moment and then turned to walk towards another exit. The Doctor reached her and took her hand before he turned to watch Finch leave the room. Rose noted the suspicious look on his face and furrows of worry.

"Creepy man," Rose offered softly. When the Doctor didn't reply to that, Rose added, "We should go find Donna and Sarah Jane. They may have some information for us."

They quickly walked to the maths department and found the room where Donna and Sarah Jane were working. It was filled with rows of computers with a large screen on the far side of the wall. Donna was sitting in one of the chairs and flipping through a magazine while she spoke with Sarah Jane. Judging by the sounds of K-9's speech, he was giving Sarah Jane instructions on how to access the insides of the computer.

"Find anything?" Rose asked they moved to join them.

"Not yet," Sarah Jane said as she sat up. "I can't get it open." 

"Master, inability of sonic screwdriver to open computer indicates deadlock seal," K-9 said as he rolled forward.

Rose opened her mouth to ask what a deadlock seal was when the loudspeaker suddenly sounded throughout the school. "All pupils to class immediately. And would all members of staff congregate in the staff room."

The sudden sound of feet made Rose turn back to the door quickly. As the Doctor moved to speak with K-9 and retrieve his sonic screwdriver, she moved to the doorway to keep the children from entering, "I'm sorry students, but this room is undergoing maintenance. Please report to the South Hall for your class. That's right, South Hall."

Rose returned to the Doctor to find him trying to open one of the computer hall's routers with no luck. "This is deadlock sealed as well! What're they teaching those kids?"

All the computers suddenly lit up throughout the room, each screen showing a series of coding unlike anything Rose had ever seen before in glowing green. "You wanted the program - there it is."

"Some sort of code," the Doctor breathed as he gazed at the large main screen which was flashing several sections of the code.

Rose gasped in surprise as her mobile suddenly rang. Quickly, she stepped back from the Doctor and checked the caller. Seeing that it was Shireen, Rose quickly answered.

"Rose!" Shireen's voice said with relief, "The school just locked down. Every door just swung shut and the main door won't open!" There was a banging sound on the other end. "There's a kid trying to get out!"

"No," the Doctor said softly, but his expression caught Rose's attention. "It can't be."

"Shireen, do what you can! This isn't good and we need a way out!"

"Alright," Shireen replied. "But I'm making you pay for the bodywork!"

Rose hung up the phone before she took in Shireen's statement. Turning her attention to the stunned Doctor, Rose heard him say, "No... no, they can't be..."

"Doctor," Rose called to him. "They've put the school into lock down. No one can get out. Sharon and Shireen are working on it."

"Uh Donna, Sarah go down and help them. We need to get the children out," the Doctor said, seemingly without paying attention.

Rose glanced at the other two in confusion. Donna clearly wanted to say something, but Sarah Jane touched her arm. "We need to get the children out," Sarah Jane reminded as she patted K-9 on the head.

"I'll be back Spaceman," Donna snapped before she followed Sarah Jane out the door.

Outside the school, Shireen shouted for Kenny to get away from the door. "Come on Sharon," she snapped. "Back to the car!" 

"What? Why?" Sharon asked, but then she blinked and glanced back at the door. "Oh no, you can't be serious!"

"I am unfortunately!" Shireen said as she pulled out the keys to her new car. "And I'm going to kill Rose for this."

Sharon followed Shireen and pulled out her own phone as Shireen unlocked the car. "And I'll get UNIT's number ready to dial."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"The Skasis Paradigm," the Doctor said, anger creeping into his voice with every word. "They're trying to crack the Skasis Paradigm."

"The Skasis what?" Rose asked. "I need a bit more than that Doctor." 

"The... God-maker. The universal theory. Crack that equation and you've got control of the building blocks of the universe. Time and space and matter, yours to control."

"And the children are the computer," Rose hissed. "Just like with Horath; enough knowledge to work, but also imagination driving the cracking of the code."

"And their learning power is being accelerated by the oil! That oil from the kitchens; it works as a- as a... conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer." The Doctor explained as he paced the room. "But they're not just using the children's brains to break the code... they're using their souls."

Rose tensed as she saw Mister Finch enter the room and then the alien calmly said, "Let the lesson begin." When the Doctor turned to face him, Finch walked towards them slowly his eyes intense on the Doctor. "Think of it, Doctor. With the Paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can shape the universe and improve it."

"Oh yeah? The whole of creation with the face of Mister Finch." The Doctor answered, "Call me old fashioned, but I like things as they are."

"You act like such a radical, and yet all you want to do is preserve the old order. Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good," Finch remarked, sounding mystified by the notion.

"What, by someone like you?" The Doctor asked, skepticism in his voice.

"No," Finch breathed, "someone like you." The Doctor fell silent in surprise and Rose moved closer to him, catching a glimpse of his face. "The Paradigm gives us power, but you could give us wisdom. Become a God. At my side. Imagine what you could do. Think of the civilizations you could save. Perganon, Assinta... your own people, Doctor. Standing tall. The Time Lords... reborn."

"Doctor, don't listen to him," Rose said quickly as she moved closer to him.

Rose tensed as Mister Finch moved around the Doctor and turned his attention to her, "But imagine it." Mister Finch said smoothly. "You could be with him always. No timelines, no struggles on Earth. Just the life he wants with you." Finch looked back to the Doctor, "Their lives are so fleeting. So many goodbyes. How lonely you must be, Doctor. Join us."

"I could save everyone..." the Doctor said; his tone hurting Rose's heart.

"Yes," Finch replied.

"I could stop the war..." the Doctor whispered. Then his eyes settled on Rose. "I could prevent our separation," he breathed. "It wouldn't have to happen this way."

"Life exactly as you wish, Doctor," Finch said with a note of triumph.

"Don't you dare," Rose hissed as anger flooded through her. Her response surprised the Doctor. "Struggles, pain and doubts shape us all. They make us grow and learn." Rose paused and gave a soft humorless laugh, "Sometimes even more than all the good things in life." Rose swallowed, "So don't you dare take that away from the universe… or me."

"Rose," the Doctor started to say.

"Don't you dare," Rose repeated firmly. "As much as you might wish to, you know better than this. You're not god material Doctor and you know it."

The Doctor stared at her for a moment, grit his teeth, and then grabbed a chair from the nearest computer. Throwing it into the screen, the Doctor lunged forward and grabbed Rose's hand. Then he shouted, "Run!"

They reached the bottom of the stairs in time to meet all the others, along with one of the students. Behind them were the now familiar screeches of the Krillitanes chasing after them. Rose risked a glance back over her shoulder and saw the bat-like creatures climbing the walls and gliding down the narrow corridor after them. They rushed into the canteen and the Doctor ran to a large door on the opposite side. Before he could use the sonic screwdriver, Mister Finch entered the room, followed by the Krillitanes in their bat forms.

"Are they my teachers?" the boy asked Donna.

"Yes," Donna replied. "Uh, sorry… I think."

"Leave the Doctor alive." Finch commanded, "As for the others... you can feast."

Rose summoned her sword forth as one of the Krillitanes swooped down at her, slicing its wing. She didn't bother to watch it collapse to the floor as another gave a horrible cry and dove towards her. Rose dropped and rolled to the side to avoid it before sweeping her sword in an arc near the Krillitane. Rose growled as the Krillitane flew out of her range, but then it was promptly shot by a laser beam. Blinking in surprise, Rose spun to see K-9 in the doorway. The little robot dog had finally caught up with them.

"K-9!" Sarah Jane cried out in relief.

"Suggest you engage running mode, mistress," the robot calmly replied as it fired at another Krillitane.

"Come on!" the Doctor shouted as he gave Shireen a hand up. "K-9, hold them back!"

"Affirmative, master. Maximum defense mode!"

They heard the fight continue behind them as they ran through another corridor. The Doctor suddenly halted and swung open a laboratory door. "In here." He used the sonic screwdriver on the lock as soon as everyone was through. The Doctor leaned against the main desk, his face thoughtful. Rose leaned against the wall by the door; her sword at the ready as the others sat down.

"Kenny," Sharon asked the boy, "Are you alright?" He nodded a moment later, but the Doctor ignored them as he stared up at the ceiling.

"It's the oil. Krillitane life forms can't handle the oil! That's it!" the Doctor suddenly shouted. "They've changed their physiology so often, even their own oil is toxic to them. How much was there in the kitchens?"

"Barrels," Donna answered. "Four at last count."

Sudden screeching from outside made everyone jump and Rose stepped away from the wall as the Krillitanes began to claw their way through the door. Rose moved her sword up to a defensive position and did not take her eyes off the door as it shook. If they got through, she might be able to get another one of them as they entered the room.

"Okay, we need to get to the kitchens," the Doctor said taking charge again, "Sharon and Shireen, get the children unplugged and out of the school." The Doctor frowned, "Now then; bats, bats, bats, how do we fight bats?"

Kenny didn't hesitate and strode over to the fire alarm. The boy hit it quickly with his elbow setting off the high pitched alarm. The screeching outside the door turned to wails of pain and the Doctor grinned at Kenny. Quickly unsealing the door, the Doctor moved into the hallways, weaving around the Krillitanes that were flinching in distress. Rose stayed close to the Doctor, noticing Sharon and Shireen break off from the main group. The fire alarm quieted a moment later as they ran down the hall. Ahead of them, K-9 suddenly rolled out into the corridor. He was covered in scrapes and scratches with part of his access panel torn open.

"Master!" K-9 greeted as he moved to join the Doctor.

"Come on, boy! Good boy."

Rose followed the Doctor into the kitchen and moved out of the way of Donna as she rushed to pull the barrels of oil away from the wall. The Doctor tried using his sonic screwdriver on one of the barrels, but it didn't work.

"They've been deadlock sealed!" He tried another barrel, "Finch must've done that. I can't open them."

Rose pulled out the sonic pen, "Would this be able to?"

"No," the Doctor replied quickly, but then he stopped and grabbed it. "If I can code it to this deadlock seal then it will work." The Doctor grinned as he used his own sonic screwdriver to start coding Rose's sonic pen. "Oh Donna," the Doctor said cheerfully. "We're going to need some buckets." Donna quickly started to grab buckets from the cleaning area and handed them around. "As soon as the oil hits them we aren't going to have much time to get away. Sarah, get the back door open. We're going to run fast."

The first barrel opened with a soft pop and the Doctor cheered in triumph. Pocketing his sonic screwdriver he moved to the next barrel as Donna started filling the buckets and handing them around. Rose glanced towards the door and then turned to Kenny. "You should head outside Kenny," Rose said gently. "We'll finish this."

"Good idea," Sarah Jane said quickly. "K-9, take Kenny outside and stay with him."

Rose's phone chirped and she pulled it out to find a simple text message from Sharon. "The kids are all outside," she announced quickly. Slipping her phone back into her pocket, she accepted a bucket of Krillitane oil from Donna. "I am getting the sonic pen back, right?"

The Doctor didn't answer as the door suddenly swung open and the Krillitanes marched inside, now in their human forms. Rose braced herself and the moment their eyes widened at the sight of the open barrels, the Doctor shouted, "Now!"

Everyone swung their buckets forward, sending the oil spraying all over the Krillitanes. Rose dropped the bucket as the Krillitanes started wailing and screaming. Sarah Jane was just ahead of her as they all rushed out the door. Behind them, the Doctor sealed the back door as soon as everyone was out. "Keep running," the Doctor shouted.

They joined the throng of students just in time to turn around and see the large explosion. Windows all down the front of the building shattered and the students began to cheer. Rose hugged Sharon and Shireen quickly before turning to hug the Doctor.

"Aliens and schools are not a good mix," Rose said with a laugh as she pulled away from the Doctor. "Still, not a bad day."

"Nope," the Doctor said to her before he turned to inspect K-9. "I guess the Krillitanes didn't like you firing on them."

"Negative, Master," K-9 replied.

"Well then," the Doctor looked up at Sarah Jane. "Seems I need to do some repairs before I go." Sarah Jane grinned in response.


	30. School Reunion: Forward Movement

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Thirty: Forward Movement

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: I'm sorry this took so long. I had to face down the Blue Screen of Death and run full checks on my computer before I dared try to do anything relaxing and fun.

The Doctor had been true to his word, and when Rose and Sarah Jane arrived back at Bannerman Road, they found the TARDIS parked in the attic. Sarah Jane had stood in the doorway of the attic and blinked in surprise at seeing the time machine just sitting in the middle of a room of her house. Rose stepped around Sarah Jane and looked around the room. The Doctor was sitting on the old sofa with K-9 on the small table in front of him. The small robot was switched off as the Doctor worked intently. Donna was lounging in one of Sarah Jane's old chairs and flipping through a magazine. A moment later, Donna looked up and grinned at the sight of them.

"I love this room," Donna exclaimed as she stood up and tossed her magazine on Sarah Jane's desk. "The stained glass windows are gorgeous!"

"Uh thank you," Sarah Jane said.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to get here," the Doctor said without looking up.

"Well, we did actually have to drive and traffic around the school after the explosion wasn't good," Sarah Jane reminded him as she recovered from her surprise.

"Yeah, once UNIT started to arrive we were lucky to escape without debriefing," Rose interjected with a smile.

"How is K-9?" Sarah Jane asked as she moved closer to her robot dog.

"Oh, he'll be fine," the Doctor promised. "But you'll have to give me a few hours. The upgrades are going to take a bit of time." 

"Upgrades?" Sarah Jane asked.

"Oh, levitation panel mainly," the Doctor said. "That way you don't have to carry him up and down the stairs. But I've also got a new battery system that should last longer."

Sarah Jane nodded, distracted at his complete ease with the conversation. Rose couldn't blame her; she hadn't seen the Doctor in years and now he was parked in her attic and working on K-9. In fact Rose knew that stunned, confused, and yet pleased feeling very well. Shrugging it off, Rose walked over the Doctor and sat down next to him. He gave her a smile and started talking about the various new components he was adding to K-9 to make the machine more efficient.

Sarah Jane looked over at Mister Spock whose screen was blank. Turning back to the Doctor, she asked, "Why isn't Spock on?"

"I turned him off," the Doctor said simply. "I find him irritating."

"He doesn't like anything that talks as much as he does," Donna interjected with a smirk at the Doctor's glare. "How about some tea?"

"Uh, sure," Sarah Jane responded as she glanced over at Rose and the Doctor. "Doctor? Rose? Would you like some tea?"

"I never say no to a good cuppa," the Doctor replied, looking up long enough to smile at Sarah Jane.

Donna grabbed Sarah Jane's hand and pulled her towards the door. "We'll be back soon," Donna said to the Doctor and Rose with a smile. As Sarah Jane walked through the door, Donna gave them both a meaningful look and winked at Rose.

Rose smiled softly as the two women vanished and she could hear them talking as they walked down the stairs. Once their footfalls and voices faded, Rose turned to the Doctor. "Are you angry with me?" She questioned gently.

"Why would you think that?" the Doctor said. His face didn't show any reaction, but his shoulders tensed slightly.

"Maybe because you've been… strange this whole time," Rose said, "And I don't think it is just your Time Lord discomfort of multiple human timelines meeting in the same point in time and space."

"I'm not angry at you," the Doctor assured her quickly.

Rose reached over and pulled the sonic screwdriver from his hand, slapped it down on the table, and cupped his cheek to turn him to look at her. She examined his face for a long moment, caressing his cheek gently. "Then why are you angry at yourself?"

"I wanted to use the Skasis Paradigm," the Doctor said.

"No," Rose responded. "You were upset about something before you knew what the Krillitanes were doing."

"No I wasn't," the Doctor responded too quickly.

Rose shook her head and leaned forward to press her lips against his softly. The kiss was brief and Rose took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently. "Yes, you were," Rose whispered when she pulled back from the kiss. "If you don't want to talk about it, okay then, but repression is not the good choice. Remember what happened to me at Christmas? I'm still dealing with the aftermath of that lovely episode in my life."

"I'm alright," the Doctor responded. "Really, Rose there isn't anything to worry about."

Rose rolled her eyes, "Please, I'm trying to deal with my issues and I'm not alright yet. I'm working on it, but I won't claim that yet. So if the human girl who is actually trying to work on her emotional and psychological issues isn't alright, I have a hard time believing that you are."

"Why didn't you want me to use the Skasis Paradigm?" the Doctor asked after a moment. "Don't you trust me?"

Rose stared at him for a long moment, collecting her thoughts. "Thing is Doctor, I've always known that you aren't perfect," Rose said softly. "I've known that since I found you fighting Spellman and losing when I was eleven. I had to help you and that taught me that you weren't this perfect infallible being." Rose paused and took a breath. "And while I believe that you will always try to do what is best, I acknowledge that you won't always succeed."

"That didn't answer the question," the Doctor said.

"I told you that at the school," Rose said. "You're a wonderful Time Lord, a wonderful champion for justice, but you wouldn't make a good god." Rose shook her head, "Your sense of morality is too strong for you to have that level of power. You always want things to turn out just so and the rest of the universe doesn't work that way." Rose shrugged and added, "I do know two Guardians after all. They can only put events in motion, but choice always remains."

"I was just thinking…" the Doctor trailed off for a moment. "I wanted to make things better for you, for us. You have to live with foreknowledge and powerful beings jumping in and out of your life. I shouldn't keep coming back to see you and yet I do. I'm keeping you from having a normal life at school and that isn't fair."

"The universe isn't fair," Rose said with a shrug. "And I'm learning to live with what that means for me. I'm dealing with my feelings towards the manipulations of the Guardians." Rose paused and looked at him seriously, "But I can't have you doing the same thing to me."

"What?"

"Had you taken control of the Skasis Paradigm," Rose explained, "You would have rewritten my life with you to meet your view of how it should be. When you were being tempted, you just said what you would do and you didn't ask me what I wanted." Rose shook her head, "I can't have you being one more being rewriting my life."

"Rose…"

"I'm not stupid, despite my hair color," Rose said. "I know that at some point the Guardians either viewed my future or my life in an alternate reality. That's how they decided not only to influence my life, but also how. I'm living a life that was rewritten on purpose to be different from the original." Rose sighed, "You told me that time can be rewritten, but you didn't mention that people can be rewritten. I can't have you doing that to me."

"I wouldn't do that to you," the Doctor promised urgently, cupping her cheek in his hand. "I love you."

"I know that," Rose said. She hesitated, but the words wouldn't form. It was still too soon for her. "But that's what you almost did." The Doctor froze and blinked at her. "That's what you were thinking about and you can't do that to me."

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said, stunned at the turn the conversation had taken.

"You're still mourning," Rose said with a nod. "I get that. It is strange, but I understand that. Just promise me that if you have a chance to change what happens, you'll ask me first."

"I promise," the Doctor said before he turned back to K-9.

"So it is the whole twisted time lines that been bothering you," Rose said. "Well, good to know you really aren't mad at me."

"I shouldn't be coming back to see you," the Doctor said.

"This was an accident," Rose said. "You came to check on some alien activity, not to see me."

"But it keeps happening that way," the Doctor said.

"And that bothers you."

"Whole of the universe," the Doctor observed, "And I keep meeting you, even when I'm not trying."

"Well, you did say that I've become a heavy point in time and space," Rose said with a smile.

"When did I say that?" the Doctor asked confused.

"Oh," Rose said with wide eyes, "Uh, never mind, you haven't said that yet and won't say it until after your next regeneration."

"All the women in the world and I had to find the one as complicated as me," the Doctor said with a smile pulling at his lips.

"And you just love it," Rose teased back. Then she reached over and put her hand over his. "We're okay you know, Doctor. You and me, we're alright. We have been, are, and will be alright."

"You sound very sure of that," the Doctor observed.

"We are both very stubborn," Rose replied with a shrug. "And frankly, I don't mind the odd time lines so much anymore. I've gotten used to it." Rose leaned back, "And it irritates Sharon and Shireen that despite having a temporally complex relationship, I still have the most stable and healthy relationship of the three of us."

They stopped talking as Sarah Jane walked back into the room with Donna; both women carrying a tray with cups and biscuits on them. Sarah Jane handed the Doctor his tea after making it the way like he liked it and then sat back down at her desk. Donna glanced between Rose and the Doctor, clearly pleased at the relaxed atmosphere between them.

"So, who is Johnny?" Donna asked Rose suddenly.

"Johnny?" Rose asked in surprise. "Johnny Chesterton?" 

"Yes," Donna said with a hint of excitement.

"It is not your concern," Sarah Jane said quickly with a slight flush.

"Sarah Jane, are you blushing?" Rose asked with a smirk.

"Oh, she checked her phone messages while we were downstairs," Donna said with a smile. "There was a message from Johnny asking Sarah Jane out to dinner."

"So, he finally asked you out," Rose said with a smile. "You're going to say yes right?" 

"I'm not sure," Sarah Jane said glaring at Rose. "He's a lot younger than me."

"Oh, younger man," Donna said. "That's a good start."

"Johnny Chesterton is the son of two previous companions," Rose told Donna, "so he already knows about the aliens in Sarah Jane's life. Plus he is a very attractive computer specialist."

"If you don't want him, just give me his number," Donna said to Sarah Jane who turned her glare on Donna.

"It is not your concern," Sarah Jane hissed.

The Doctor looked up at them and said, "I'm trying to do some work here." 

"We don't mind," Donna said with a smirk before she turned back to Sarah Jane. "Seriously, why haven't you called him back yet?" 

"He's fifteen years younger than me!" Sarah Jane snapped.

"Just a number," Rose said with a smile. "He likes you a lot and you already get along with his family. Trust me; Barbara would be more than happy to have you date Johnny."

"This is not your business," Sarah Jane said. The blush was back.

"Oh, she likes him too," Donna said with a nod towards Rose. "Definitely interested."

"I agree," Rose said with a nod. "You should call him Sarah Jane."

"Fine," Sarah Jane said as she picked up the handset from her desk. "If it will make the two of you be quiet, I'll call him!" She paused and looked at them. "Downstairs." 

Donna laughed as Sarah Jane left the attic quickly and then she looked back at the Doctor. "You two alright?"

"We're fine Donna," Rose said with a smile.

"Good," Donna tapped her fingers on the table. "How much longer is this going to take?"

"Another hour tops," the Doctor said.

"Alright," Donna said as she picked up her tea and winked at Rose.

An hour and three minutes later, Donna was hugging Sarah Jane goodbye and verifying the phone number Sarah Jane had given her.

"It was so nice to meet you," Sarah Jane said with a wide smile. "Look after him." 

"I will," Donna said firmly with a warm smile. "You look after yourself and have fun on your date tonight."

Sarah Jane shook her head and said, "Well I'll try, I suppose."

Donna raised an eyebrow and looked over at Rose. "You'll look after her, won't you?" Donna asked.

Rose nodded and said, "As much as she'll let me."

"Honestly," Sarah Jane sighed. "I looked after myself for years."

"And now you've got Rose, a robot dog, and a super alien computer," Donna said. "Can't go wrong now, can you?"

The Doctor was leaning against the TARDIS and shaking his head. Rose chuckled; he was finding the dragged out goodbyes irritating and difficult. It didn't surprise her at all that he found this strange. Sarah Jane stepped up to him and Donna ducked into the TARDIS while Rose backed up to give the Doctor and Sarah Jane a moment.

"It's daft, but I haven't ever thanked you for that time," Sarah Jane said with a smile. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

"Something to tell the grandkids," the Doctor said with a smile.

"Oh, I think it'll be someone else's grandkids now," Sarah Jane said with a slightly sorrowful tone.

The Doctor just smiled at her and then softly said, "You might just be surprised Sarah Jane." Sarah Jane gave him an odd look of confusion, surprise, and an odd touch of hope. The Doctor just grinned at her. "One more thing, the next time you meet me may be before this so be careful what you say."

"Oh?" Sarah Jane asked with wide eyes. She glanced over at Rose, "Because of Rose?"

"Yes," the Doctor said with a nod. "So just… don't mention this to me then. I had no idea that I was going to run into you at that school."

Sarah Jane stared at him for a moment before she laughed. "Some things about you will never change," she said softly. "Then I suppose this isn't really goodbye," she paused, "but will you say it properly this time?"

"Goodbye. My Sarah Jane," the Doctor said warmly as he looked straight at her. He hugged her tightly, lifting her up off of the ground. "Give Johnny a chance," the Doctor whispered into her ear as he set her back down. Sarah Jane nodded and stepped back. The Doctor looked down at K-9 who was waiting patiently by Rose. "And you look after things here."

"Affirmative Master," K-9 replied.

"Good dog," the Doctor replied with a smile. He turned to Rose and hugged her tightly. "Thank you for everything you're going to do for me."

"You're welcome in advance," Rose said with a wide smile. "Take care of yourself and Donna. I really like her."

The Doctor nodded and Rose could tell that he wanted to say more, but with Sarah Jane standing there watching them he couldn't. Instead he nodded and grinned before turning back to the TARDIS. He started to close the door, but then threw it back open. "One last thing you two, please try to stay out of trouble." 

"I make no promises," Rose said with a wide grin.

"That's why I'm worried," the Doctor replied with a shake of his head. "Seriously Sarah, be careful around that one. She is jeopardy friendly."

"I'll remember that," Sarah Jane said with a watery smile. "Good luck out there."

The TARDIS door closed and a moment later the blue box faded from sight with the telltale wind and noise. Rose turned to Sarah Jane and found the older woman looking at her. "So, you made a date with Johnny?" Rose asked.

"Time to move forward with my life," Sarah Jane said with a nod and a smile. "And I think that it is going to go very well."


	31. Invasion of the Bane: Bubble Shock

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Thirty-One: Bubble Shock Suspicions

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Welcome to the seventh episode! I'm sorry this took so long, over a month is a stunning wait. Life has been full of problems and one crisis after another lately so writing was simply unimportant in the grand scheme of my life. Thank you to those who sent me well wishes and checked to see if I was okay, you are all very sweet. I'm just happy that I had finished the last episode before this emergency hiatus began and didn't leave you all on a cliffhanger. I'll try to get back to updating at least once a week now.

Rose Marion Tyler walked up Sarah Jane's drive on Bannerman Road with a soft smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. It was a chilly February morning and she had driven back from Cambridge the previous night after receiving a strange phone call from the woman. As she pulled out her key to Sarah Jane's house, Rose silently hoped that it was something they could wrap up quickly since she had classes on Monday. That stray thought made her chuckle, she was scheduling alien plots around classes and that if nothing else proved that she had an odd life. However it certainly was the truth, Ian would understand, but Barbara would have a lecture waiting for her on the importance of a good education. Unlocking the door, Rose stepped into the small entry of Sarah Jane's home and shrugged out of her coat, hanging it on a hook by the door. After a moment's hesitation she hung her satchel up as well, figuring that she wouldn't need any of her tools while in here.

"Sarah Jane?" Rose called.

"Attic," a shout replied from up the stairs.

Rose climbed the stairs to find the attic door open. Smiling, Rose stepped into the now familiar room and let her eyes take in the scene. Sarah Jane was sitting at her desk and turned as Rose came into the room. The older woman walked over to her and Rose accepted the warm hug that followed.

"Thank you for coming back," Sarah Jane said.

"Well, you said aliens," Rose said with a smile and a shrug. "How could I refuse?"

"Yes, but let's get started. I'd hate to deal with Barbara if I made you miss your classes on Monday."

"Yes," Rose agreed. "You need to stay on the good side of your future mother-in-law."

Sarah Jane gave Rose a look that she just grinned at. "Honestly, Johnny and I have three dates and you're making wedding plans." Sarah Jane huffed as she turned back to her desk. She grabbed a file and handed it to Rose before she stepped forwards towards the dark console of Mister Spock. "Mister Spock, I need you."

The screen flashed on and the panels of buttons and controls lit up brightly. "Yes Sarah Jane," the familiar computer voice replied. "Rose, welcome back."

"Thank you Mister Spock," Rose replied with a smile tugging at her lips. "All systems functioning?"

"Indeed Rose," the computer replied. "Despite the best attempts of the dog."

"What?" Rose blinked, looking back at Sarah Jane with a bemused expression.

"Oh K-9 and Mister Spock linked up last week to share databanks," Sarah Jane said with a sigh. "It did not go well." The tone of her voice made it clear that Rose really did not want to know the specifics of what had occurred.

"Alright then, speaking of K-9, where is he?" Rose asked as she glanced around.

"He's around here somewhere," Sarah Jane replied. "He might be downstairs now that he can go up and down the stairs by himself. Those upgrades the Doctor put in really make things easier since I don't have to carry him everywhere myself."

"Well, hopefully he isn't scaring the neighbors," Rose observed as she sat down on the sofa in front of Mister Spock. "The street already thinks that you are weird." When Sarah Jane gave her another look, Rose suppressed a smirk and asked, "So aliens?"

"I believe so," Sarah Jane said with a nod as she turned back to her desk to pick up a folder. "Do you drink that new product Bubble Shock?" Sarah Jane asked her a moment later. 

"No," Rose said with a disgusted face, "I think its foul, but a lot of other students drink it. They keep talking about how that new indigent bane is natural and organic and gives them energy." Rose frowned, "You're thinking what… that aliens are producing Bubble Shock?"

"I tried to have Mister Spock analyze a bottle of Bubble Shock," Sarah Jane explained thoughtfully. "It couldn't be done."

"Really?" Rose asked with a surprised look at Sarah Jane. Turning to Mister Spock, Rose asked, "Total failure?"

"My analysis failed due to the unstable and changing nature of the sample," Mister Spock said as he brought up an image of a chemical structure that kept fuzzing and changing. "The chemical structure of the product changed every time I managed a sensor lock on any components. I cannot even identify the elements that make up this bane compound."

"Wait so the drink changed when you tried to analyze it? The chemical structure of it just switched around?" Rose clarified with a stunned look on her face. "How is that even possible?"

"Unknown," Mister Spock replied. "I have made five attempts at analyzing Bubble Shock, as has the dog and none of these attempts yielded new information. Either the drink exists in a constant state of flux or has defenses against being analyzed."

"And in either case, nothing on Earth can do that," Rose said with a nod of understanding. "I understand where the alien theory is coming from. So how deep do you think this goes?"

"Beyond just the strange ingredient 'bane', the company itself is strange," Sarah Jane said as she handed Rose the folder. "The company suddenly appeared this year with massive amounts of capital to start up their factory here in London. I can find no record of any investors or any loans to gather the capitol."

Rose nodded as she flipped through the stack of papers that Sarah Jane had assembled. There were copies of construction orders, employment information and other documentation, all dated within the last twelve months.

"And worse yet is that drink Bubble Shock," Sarah Jane said. "Normally it takes years of testing for a new foodstuff to be given permission by the EU for public release, but Bubble Shock was approved in two weeks."

"Ah," Rose said with a nod. "Okay I second the alien theory." Rose closed the folder and set it down on a table. "So what's the plan?"

"You want my plan?" Sarah Jane asked with a slight tilt of her head and a smirk.

"It's your case," Rose said with a shrug. "So I suspect that you called me for backup or something of the sort."

"I've been trying to reach management for weeks," Sarah Jane said. "So I can't go into the factory, but they give tours almost all day every day. I want you to go into the factory for the tour and look around for anything unusual."

"Unusual on the tour?"

"You'd be surprised how often I've seen that happen," Sarah Jane assured Rose with a smile. "Normal people don't exactly know it when they see it."

"I suppose that is true," Rose agreed with a shake of her head.

"Good," Sarah Jane said as she looked down at her watch. "The buses are every half hour, if you want to catch this one then we'd better hurry down."

"Don't waste any time do you?" Rose asked as Sarah Jane started hurrying her to the door.

"No, come on!" Sarah Jane said as she headed for the main door. "I'll be following in the car."

Rose caught her coat when Sarah Jane tossed it to her, "So what then?"

"I'll sneak inside the factory," Sarah Jane said with a smile. "Take a look around."

"Wouldn't it be better if I did that?" Rose pressed as she pulled on the trench coat. "I am a bit …. younger."

"I'm a journalist," Sarah Jane said with a shake of her head. "My sneaking around is annoying, but reasonable. Plus as you said you are a bit younger so you touring a pop factory isn't as odd for someone your age as opposed to mine."

"Alright," Rose agreed. "But don't think that rushing me off to deal with aliens means that you'll be getting out of telling me how things are with Johnny."

"You need a boyfriend," Sarah Jane hissed as she locked her front door. "So you can stop worrying about mine."

"Oh he is actually considered the boyfriend now is he?" Rose asked with a grin. "Good to know."

"The bus station is down the street and to the right. You can't miss it," Sarah Jane said as she unlocked her own car. "On more thing Rose, do you have the sonic pen?"

"Yeah," Rose said pulling it from her satchel.

"Can I borrow it, just in case?"

Rose had a moment of hesitation, but it passed quickly and she handed the pen over to Sarah Jane. "Anything else?"

"Yes, stay out of trouble," Sarah Jane replied as she tucked Rose's sonic pen into her pocket.

"I make no promises," Rose shouted as she walked towards the street.

A few people were walking towards the bus station as Rose approached it. Sarah Jane hadn't been joking when she said that it couldn't be missed. The banners were the same bright orange as bubble shock itself and covered with images of the bottled pop. Rose's eyes scanned the station and she blinked in surprise to see Rani Chandra waiting patiently there next to Mrs. Stringer with her two young children from the next street over.

"Rose?" Rani greeted in surprise. "I thought you were back at university?" 

"I am," Rose assured the pretty Indian teenager with a smile. "I just came back for the weekend."

"And a pop factory tour is how you want to spend your time?" Rani asked in surprise.

Rose shrugged to avoid giving an answer, she wasn't much of a liar when asked direct questions. Rani gave Rose a curious look, but seemed to decide to drop the subject.

"To be honest I hate the stuff," Rani said in a low voice. "But I'm hoping to write an article for the school paper about Bubble Shock."

"What's the angle?" Rose asked. "A review of the tour?"

"No," Rani said with a secretive smile. "Let's just say there are some weird things about this company."

"I forgot you want to be a journalist," Rose said with a chuckle. "To be honest, I'm taking the tour to get a quick look at the factory for Sarah Jane. Apparently they avoid journalists."

"You're helping Sarah Jane?" Rani asked in surprise, a flicker of hurt flashing in her eyes. "Oh, that's nice."

"You should introduce yourself again to her," Rose said gently. "I know that when you first moved to Bannerman Road Sarah Jane was probably a bit…."

"Cold," Rani offered.

"Yes, that's probably a good word for it, but she's getting better," Rose said softly with a smile.

"Maybe," Rani said with a shrug as she glanced around. "Oh great Clyde Langer."

Rose turned to follow Rani's eyes to a boy of African descent leaning against the station wall, looking down at his mobile. He was a bit shorter than Rani, but probably about twelve years old like she was.

"Friend of yours?" Rose asked.

"Oh that Clyde Langer," Rani said. "He and his mum just moved onto the road, just around the corner from us. He's a clown and doesn't like me much since my dad is head teacher at our school." Rani sighed, "He'll probably turn the tour into a mess."

"I doubt he's that bad," Rose said. "Like you said he's new to the area and probably just a little uncomfortable."

"I doubt that," Rani said. She started to say something else, but a large orange bus came around the corner with the bubble shock jiggle playing.

"That's hideous," Rose said, blinking her eyes against the bright shock of colours.

"Agreed," Rani said. "I can't stand the whole 'drink it' jiggle. I mean that's the best they could come up with."

"Yeah, I don't drink it either," Rose said as they let the others waiting at the station board the bus first.

"Then we are both part of the two percent with the wrong taste buds," Rani told Rose. "Hurray for us." 

Rose sat down on one of the orange seats next to Rani with a smile. This could work really well actually. Rani was a curious girl who asked the questions that came to her mind and if she didn't like Bubble Shock than she'd probably ask the right questions to irritate the tour guide. Rose would just have to stand back and keep her eyes and ears open while Rani drew all the attention. Glancing out the back of the bus, Rose smiled at the sight of Sarah Jane's light green car following behind them.

A moment later, Clyde Langer sat down on the next seat over, sipping from a free sample bottle of Bubble Shock. "Hi Rani," he greeted with a smile.

"Hello Clyde," Rani answered. "Have you finished reading Oliver Twist yet?"

"Everyone knows you read the back cover, page 73 and the last chapter to get the gist of the book," Clyde replied with a grin.

Rani shook her head, but couldn't quite contain her smile. "Clyde, this is Rose Tyler. Her mum lives just down the street from us."

"Oh right, Rose, the one who's off at Cambridge," Clyde said with a smile. "Nice to meet you."

"How did you know that?" Rose asked with an amused smile from watching the two young teenagers.

"Your mum welcomed us to Bannerman Road and let's just say she brags about you," Clyde replied. "But my mum was really happy to meet some of the neighbors. Your mum was there too Rani."

"Of course she was," Rani sighed with a slight smile.

Rose settled back in her seat, letting her casually sweep the people on the bus as Rani and Clyde started talking about Bubble Shock. Apparently Clyde had gone on the tour before several times and Rani was asking him all sorts of questions about what he thought about the drink. After a few minutes the topic changed to school and a recent assignment that they started arguing about. Rose smiled slightly as she recalled the green-eyed Doctor substituting at her school when she was that age. Nothing about the bus was strange except for the overuse of the colour orange. A bin of ice by the door held free samples that almost everyone was drinking. No one was acting strangely, just chatting with friends and drinking Bubble Shock. Then several teenagers started cheering and Rose glanced back at the front of the bus as they turned another corner and a large imposing building with a high gate appeared in front of them. A sign announced it as the Bubble Shock Factory with the words 'drink it' written in bright orange letter underneath.

The bus drove through the gate as it opened and Rose resisted the urge to check that Sarah Jane had made it through. Even if the gate had started to close, she had the sonic pen so Rose figured that she'd be alright. Rose checked that she had her bag still secured around her shoulder, even if she was lacking the sonic pen. As she climbed off the bus, Rose noticed the large number of workers in orange jumpsuits that were herding them towards a main door with a welcome banner. Over a loudspeaker, the rules and restrictions were being read to them. She glanced around as she followed the line of visitors through the main doors.

A young man in a neat black suit was waiting for them with an impatient and forced smile on his face. He motioned them to follow as he started to speak, "Welcome to the Bubble Shock Experience." The man led them into a room with a strange metal arch and a lot of odd equipment that Rose did not recognize. "Please step through the arch for a security scan."

Rose frowned and watched as people began to step through the arch. A bright flash of light occurred each time someone stepped in and the strange machines were humming with activity. She watched Rani step through before she forced herself to step through. The machine created an odd tingling, but wasn't painful and Rose joined Rani on the other side. Their guide who had finally introduced himself as David led them up a flight of stairs to a large brightly lit room. Pipes ran across the ceiling and large machines dominated the massive space. Banners with the Bubble Shock logo and name hung throughout it.

"It's huge," Rani said softly behind her.

"I've seen it loads of times," Clyde said with a shrug.

"Okay just a reminder to turn off your mobile phones," David said from the front of the line as he led them out onto the floor, following a marked orange path. "That means all of you. We have extremely sensitive equipment here and the signals can interfere with the machinery. SO phones off."

Rose frowned at the statement, mobile phone signals interfered with a very small amount of equipment due to the limited signal range that they picked up. She couldn't think of anything in a pop factory that would be affected by such a signal. However, Rose quietly switched off her super phone and slipped it into her pocket for easy access if the need arose. To her right she saw Rani frowning and flipping her phone off with a suspicious look at their guide. The girl joined her after a moment. "You're the technology expert, what kind of machinery is affected by mobile phones."

"Not much," Rose answered softly. "Even airplane equipment isn't affected by most mobile phones signals."

"This is the main production area," David said dramatically. "Now before we go any further I'd like to offer you all some more free samples, help yourselves." A large cart full of Bubble Shock was wheeled out before them and David forced a smile.

Almost everyone rushed forward to grab more bottles and Clyde returned a moment later with a bottle in the pocket of his hoody, one under his arm and another in his hand. Rani frowned for a moment before she walked forward and took one bottle from the cart.

Their guide had a bored look on his face as he gave a little speech, "Bubble Shock revitalizes your taste buds and gives you energy morning noon and night. Only Bubble Shock contains Bane."

"What is Bane?" Rani asked suddenly as she stepped closer to David.

David gave Rani a tight smile. "I can hardly give away our recipe."

"I'm not asking for the recipe," Rani said as she crossed her arms. "Most of your advertising relies on this Bane indigent that you claim is organic, but organic what?" Seeing she had David's full attention now, Rani pressed. "I mean is it vegetable, mineral… or animal?"

"Bane is an organic compound that is very old and completely natural," David said. "Beyond that you wouldn't have heard of it."

David ignored Rani as she opened her mouth to ask another question and he pushed the cart away. "Alright that's enough, keep moving." David's eyes landed on Rose as she calmly leaned against a railing. He beckoned her closer and Rose obliged with a small charming smile. "No Bubble Shock?"

"No thank you," Rose said with a smile. "I'm part of the two percent with the wrong taste buds."

David gave an amused chuckle and pulled out one of the bottles of Bubble Shock from the cart. "Don't worry," he said, "We're working on it." He gazed at the bottle and said, "Soon we'll have everyone drinking Bubble Shock." He tossed the bottle to Rose, "The whole world."

"I'd rather have a cup of tea," Rose replied before dropping the bottle back into the cart. David stared at her for a moment with a strange little smile before he turned his attention back to the group and motioned them forward.

The tour continued calmly with David showing them where the fruit juice was mixed with Bane and Rani's questions being completely ignored at this point. Rose resisted the urge to sigh, the strangest thing in this whole place aside from the question of what Bane actually was remained the strange machinery when they first came in. She hoped that Sarah Jane was having better luck having a look around behind the scenes than she was. Then the alarms started going off throughout the building and Rose smiled despite herself. At least she hadn't been the one to find trouble first this time.


	32. Invasion of the Bane: Cause for Alarm

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Thirty-Two: Cause for Alarm

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Some of you have asked about the character of Maria Jackson from the Sarah Jane Adventures, but she will not be in this story. I decided that Rani would be a better match for Rose's character than Maria. I really suggest that if you've never watched the Sarah Jane Adventures that you give them a look, there a lot of great stories, wonderful character and the Doctors guest star from time to time.

The Bubble Shock tour guide's face finally showed an emotion beyond boredom and annoyance as the alarms sounded around them. Rose kept her eyes on him as the group was quickly led towards the exits. Letting herself fall behind the others, Rose scanned the tour group and her stomach dropped as she released that Rani was missing. With a quick glance around to verify that the teenager was gone, Rose suppressed a sigh and ducked to the side, slipping through one of the plastic doors. Her hand slipped into her pocket and she pressed the power button of her mobile so it would be ready, just in case.

The side halls were dark and echoing with the noise of the machine that filled each small side room. Pipes ran overhead and the loud alarm siren echoed through the metal and concrete corridors. Looking both ways down the corridor, Rose tried to decide which way to go to find Rani. The flashing red lights of the alarms made it difficult to navigate and Rose sighed before she took off down the right corridor. She moved quickly, but let her eyes scan for any signs of other movement. Several machines next to her started releasing steam and Rose gave them a cautious look as she slowed her pace as visibility dropped. Rose stopped and pulled out her mobile, pressing five to call Sarah Jane. The alarms around her suddenly started going off and Rose closed the phone, slipping it back into her pocket.

"Alright," she muttered. "No mobiles."

Rose turned a corner and gasped as she was suddenly face to face with a boy roughly the age of twelve with light brown hair and wearing a hospital shirt and short white pants to match.

"Hello," Rose said gently as she eyes scanned the boy for any additional clues. Already she was convinced that something as wrong as there was no reason for a young boy to be in a pop factory in hospital clothing.

"Hello," the boy said with wide brown eyes.

"Who are you?" Rose asked with a quick glance around.

"Who are you," the boy repeated.

Rose starred at him, "Do you understand me?" Rose asked as she reached up to check that her translator was still in place.

"Do you understand me?" the boy repeated.

Rose opened her mouth to say something and reached for the boys hand when they could suddenly hear voices over the noise of the machines. The boy turned away from her and started running in the opposite direction. Rose didn't hesitate and started rushing after the boy, hoping it wasn't some kind of elaborate trap. It didn't take her long to catch up to the boy, but he didn't stop running. Rose paused as the alarms suddenly switched off and a loudspeaker announced, "Intruder in the factory. Intruder in the factory."

Reaching forward, Rose grabbed the boys hand quickly and pulled him behind a large machine. He was panting softly and waited calmly while Rose checked the corridor. She ducked back behind the machine as a team of six workers in their orange suits passed by, one of them saying, "Find the device and destroy it." Rose tugged the boy back further behind the machine as she listened to them pass by. She was about to creep out of hiding when she heard another set of voices, one of them a familiar young female voice.

"Let me go," Rani snapped as a man in an orange jumpsuit started dragging her down the corridor. Another man was walking alongside him. "What is going on? Let me go!" Rani was struggling against the man.

"Stay still brat," the man snapped, tighting him grip on Rani's shoulder to a painful level.

Rose frowned, if these were aliens, there was no reason to assume that Rani was simply being taken to the main office. Rose slipped out from behind the machine and checked the corridor for any other workers. Seeing none, she slipped up behind them and delivered a sharp quick blow to the shoulder of the man holding Rani. As the second man turned around, Rose quickly punched him in the stomache and then the face.

Rani gaped at Rose, "What is going on here?"

"No time," Rose said as she reached out and grabbed Rani's hand. She glanced over to see that the boy had followed her out of hiding and took his hand with her free one. "Stay with me."

Rose led them back down the corridor, looking for a place to hide and try to contact Sarah Jane or get out. Her eyes landed on the door to the ladies room and she smiled slightly. She took the boy's hand and pulled him to the other side of the corridor and motioned for him to follow her into the ladies room.

"Sorry for dragging you in here," Rose said as she checked all the stalls. "But this is one place that they might hesitate to look."

"Why?" the boy asked.

"A question rather than repeating me," Rose said with a smile. "That's progress.

"Rose," Rani pressed. "What is happening? Why is he in a hospital gown?"

"Rani," Rose said as she looked around the room. "Not now."

Rose looked around and noted the line of orange jumpsuits that they might be able to use to blend in and then up to the window. Carefully Rose climbed onto the sink and checked the window. It was bolted shut and was very narrow, but they might be able to slip through it. By habit Rose reached into her bag for her sonic pen and then bit back a curse as she remembered that Sarah Jane had it.

The boy made a soft noise in this throat just before the door opened. Rose leapt down from the sink and pushed the boy and Rani behind her, holding out her right hand to summon her sword if necessary. However, Rose relaxed as Sarah Jane walked around the corner and her eyes widened at the sight of Rose.

"Rose?" Sarah Jane asked in surprise. "What are you doing here? And who is he?"

"Sarah Jane?" Rani asked, "What is happening here?"

"Sarah Jane, sonic pen," Rose said as she climbed back onto the sink.

The older woman nodded and tossed the pen up to Rose. "It is what we thought," Sarah Jane as Rose started working on the bolts. "Their Mrs. Wormwood isn't even trying to hide it."

"Mrs. Wormwood?" Rose asked with a slight confused expression. "Isn't that from Revelations?"

"I'm impressed," Sarah Jane said with a smile. "Yes, the in book of Revelations, a star called Wormwood falls to Earth and poisons the waters."

"You're right," Rose said as she removed the last bolt, "They're not hiding it at all."

"Hiding what?" Rani demanded with a cross look at Sarah Jane. "What is going on?"

"Not now Rani," Sarah Jane said firmly. "Quickly Rose."

Rose nodded and pushed the window open before sticking her head through it. The window opened up at the bottom of a wall, just enough to let some light into the lower levels. There were no guards about and Rose could see Sarah Jane's car tucked behind a bin only a few feet away. Pulling herself up, Rose carefully slid through the window and then turned to help Rani out of the loo. The strange boy came next with Sarah Jane bringing up the rear. Rose took the boy's hand and led him in a quick run to Sarah Jane's car. Rani huffed, but followed them as the alarms continued behind them. Using her sonic pen, Rose unlocked the car from a distance as they ran towards it.

Sarah Jane's car was a light green 1991 Nissan Figaro, which Rose personally disliked for lack of space. Rose threw open the front passenger door and pulled the seat forward so Rani could climb into it as Sarah Jane started the car. Around the corner, Rose could hear the tour guide speaking with a woman. She risked a glance around the corner; a blonde woman in a business dress was walking alongside David.

"Search the perimeter!" the woman snapped.

"And retrieve the archetype," David added as their men spread out and headed towards them.

Impatiently, Rose pulled the strange boy to the car and snapped for Rani to buckle him up before climbing in herself.

"Rose, the gate," Sarah Jane said calmly as she backed the car up.

The massive metal gates of the factory were closed, but Rose quickly zapped them with the sonic pen.

"What is that thing?" Rani asked suddenly from the back seat as Sarah Jane drove the car towards the opening gates. "You used it in the loo to open the window."

"Sonic pen," Rose replied calmly. "Now no more questions. We need to get out of here."

Rani huffed as they turned onto the main road and looked out the back windows. Behind them the massive double gates were closing and she could see men in the orange suits standing in the large area.

"So who are you then?" Rani asked the boy next to her.

"Everyone," the boy replied calmly.

"Bit of hush back there," Sarah Jane said quickly from the driver's seat. "Now Rose, anything in particular you noticed."

"Two things," Rose said with a nod. "That security scan was very strange and very advanced, I don't like it. Two my mobile phone seemed to set off the alarm and they made everyone on the tour turn theirs off." Rose paused before she added, "And when I was hiding I heard one of their workers talk about finding the device. Something in there doesn't like mobile phones."

"Do you think the tour group got out alright?" Rani asked from the back in a soft voice.

"The bus was gone," Rose said with a nod. "I'm sure they removed everyone quickly."

"Good," Rani said leaning back in her seat. "I'd hate for Clyde Langer to get into any trouble there. Those people who grabbed me were crazy." Rani grinned at Rose, "So you know how to fight."

"I know how to defend myself and others," Rose corrected with a glance at Sarah Jane. "And really Rani, no more questions."

"But-"

"That's enough," Sarah Jane said firmly. "This does not concern you."

"But who is he?" Rani asked as they sped towards Bannerman Road. "What was he doing in that factory in a hospital gown?"

Sarah Jane was clearly on her last bit of patience as she pulled sharply into her drive at Bannerman Road and parked the car. She ignored Rani's questions as she helped the boy out of the car and pushed him towards Rose.

"Rani," Sarah Jane said after taking a deep breath. "Go home and forget about this."

"There is something going on," Rani said as she crossed her arms. "And I'm not just going to forget about it."

"Rani, my life is dangerous," Sarah Jane said. "And you are too young to be making the decision to become involved with it. Go home, watch the telly, go to school and do whatever else it is that you do. Rose and I will handle this."

Rose shook her head when Rani looked over at her. "Go home Rani," Rose said in a softer tone than Sarah Jane. "Just let this become a weird day."

They didn't wait to see Rani's reaction and instead led the strange boy into the house. By the time Rose looked back down the drive to check on the twelve year old girl, she was already gone. Sighing softly, Rose shook her head. She didn't regret the strange life she had stumbled into at the age of eleven, but Sarah Jane was right, Rani had no business trying to get into this life when there were other and more experienced people around. Still, she doubted that the young and curious girl would just let it go.

They led the boy into Sarah Jane's living room and watched for a moment as he carefully started looking over the place. Sarah Jane gave Rose a look and slipped into the kitchen to prepare some food. Sitting down, Rose watched the strange boy examine the many books on the shelves and the various trinkets from around the globe that Sarah Jane had displayed around the room.

"Do you have a name?" Rose asked the boy after a few minutes of observing him. "My name is Rose. She is Sarah Jane and that girl was Rani. You are?"

"All I know is I had to run," the boy said calmly with wide eyes.

Rose sighed as Sarah Jane returned to the room with a tray of sandwiches and three cups of tea. 

"But you can talk," Sarah Jane said slipping into the conversation. "Someone must have taught you that. Who was it?"

"Everyone," the boy replied as Rose pulled him down onto the sofa.

Sarah Jane sat down in an armchair across from them and set the tray on a small table between them.

"What does that mean?" Sarah Jane asked.

"I am everyone," the boy said with a small smile.

"You said that before to Rani," Rose observed.

"I had to run," the boy said with a firm nod. He looked over at Rose and said, "And then you came. Then Rani and then you," he finished with a look at Sarah Jane.

"Think back," Sarah Jane said. "Before you ran; what can you remember?"

"I was born running."

"But you must have a home," Sarah Jane pressed.

"Is this your home?" the boy questioned with a glance around the room.

"Yes," Sarah Jane replied with a smile.

"Can I live here?" the boy asked.

No," Sarah Jane said a moment later. "I don't think so."

Rose was watching the exchange with a small smile tugging at her lips. Sarah Jane was oddly out of her element with children. Normally the woman could charm anyone, or make them very angry very quickly, but she didn't seem to know what to do here.

The boy looked over at the tray after Sarah Jane's response.

"Help yourself," Rose said kindly as she reached for a sandwich.

"Is this food?" the boy questioned.

"Food and drink," Sarah Jane answered with a curious look at the boy.

"Which is which," the boy asked with confusion.

"Mistress," K-9 voice called from down the hall.

"Not now," Sarah Jane answered as she jumped up to close the door to the room.

"What was that?" the boy asked.

"Nothing," Sarah Jane responded quickly to the boy. "And whatever happens you are not to go upstairs, never without my permission. Is that clear?"

"You don't trust me," the boy observed with a slightly hurt expression.

"I don't even know you," Sarah Jane replied firmly. She turned to Rose who had just finished her sandwich. "What do you think?" 

Rose stood up and gestured for the boy to do the same. "I think that I need you to lift up your shirt," Rose said gently.

"His shirt?" Sarah Jane asked in confusion.

"I have a weird theory," Rose said with a shrug. "Will you please lift up your shirt so I can see your stomach?"

The boy did as she asked and Rose nodded as her suspicions were confirmed. The boy had no bellybutton.

"He has no bellybutton," Sarah Jane said with a soft gasp.

"Is that good or bad?" the boy asked as he dropped his shirt back down.

"Everyone who is born has a bellybutton," Rose explained gently. "It is part of growing in a womb."

"So why don't I have one?" the boy asked her.

"Because you weren't born," Rose said gently keeping her eyes on the boy. "You were created at that factory from the DNA of the visitors."

"Rose, are you sure?" 

"That machine we passed through at the start of the tour," Rose said. "I'm sure that it was some kind of genetic scanned, it was far too complex for a mere security scan. Why would they allow people into their factory unless they needed something from them? The guide said that they were working on a way to make Bubble Shock work on everyone, the whole world." Rose paused, "And when we left they said something about the Archetype." Rose shrugged, "And he said himself that he was everyone. He is everyone who ever went into that factory on the tour."

Sarah Jane was silent for a long moment before she nodded. "It is a startling theory, but I think you're right. The evidence does point in that direction."

They all jumped as a frantic pounding on the door drew their attention away from the boy. Rose glanced at Sarah Jane before she started heading for the door. She relaxed slightly when she realized that it was Rani. Opening the door, Rose shook her head and said, "Rani you need to leave this alone." Rose barely noticed an embarrassed looking Clyde Langer standing behind Rani.

"The man from the factory is here on Bannerman Road!" Rani said quickly with a glance over her shoulder.

"What is wrong with that?" Clyde demanded behind Rani. "I told you, I got lost at the factory and they gave me a ride home because I missed the bus."

"He's here," Rani insisted. "Something is wrong, I know it is."

"What is that?" Clyde suddenly shouted, drawing Rose's attention back to him. The boy was pointing towards the side of the house with a horrified expression on his face. Rose looked over and grimaced at the large creature walking on the wall of the house. It was a deep green color with many tentacles and one large eye.

Rani screamed in shock and Clyde gasped, shuttering. Rose grabbed both children and pulled them into the house. Bolting the door, she shouted for Sarah Jane. As the woman came rushing into the main hall, Rose pulled a side table in front of the door.

"Rose?"

"We have a problem," Rose replied calmly before she summoned her sword. "They've come for the boy and I suspect to kill us."


	33. Invasion of the Bane: Bannerman Road

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Thirty-Three: Bane of Bannerman Road

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: I can't get a break lately! My family just got over bouts of phenomena and bronchitis and then I get a cold. Anyway I'm running really behind in the schedule, but I will keep the story coming so just hang in there. Encouraging reviews are also great, if you haven't reviewed for a while please just let me know what is working here.

"We have a problem," Rose replied calmly before she summoned her sword. "They've come for the boy and I suspect to kill us."

Of course Sarah Jane didn't panic at the words, but merely nodded with a look of angry determination settling on her face. "K-9!" Sarah Jane called, "Come to the front door."

Rose managed not to flinch as the alien became smashing at the heavy front door. The table in front of the door shook with the force and Rose knew that it wouldn't slow the creature down for very long.

"What is going on?" Rani shouted at them while Clyde began shouting questions about what that thing outside was. Only the strange boy remained quite behind Rose.

"Upstairs all of you," Sarah Jane snapped.

"But we're not allowed," the boy said with a confused expression.

"I'm allowing you!" Sarah Jane shouted.

"Mistress," K-9 said as he rolled into the main entry hall. "Suggest you engage running mode."

"What is that?" Clyde demanded. "It looks like a robot. You've got a robot dog?"

"Not now," Sarah Jane hissed as she shoved the children towards the stairs.

Rose turned herself just enough to see Sarah Jane rushing up the stairs with the three preteens. K-9 rolled up next to her a moment later.

"Mistress Rose, suggest you take defensive position on the stairs. I will take main defensive position here."

"Be careful," Rose said trying to keep the worry out of her voice. "I don't want to have to repair you already."

"Affection noted Mistress Rose," K-9 replied as his small wire tail wagged slightly.

Rose backed away from the door and climbed the stairs to the first landing where they turned a corner. The moment she turned back to the door, it was suddenly torn outward and crashed into the drive. Rose raised her sword just as the large creature climbed inside the house on the ceiling using the suction cups on its six tentacles to keep itself in position. K-9 opened fire the moment it was inside the entry. The creature gave a sharp sound of pain in a high register that made Rose flinch.

"First the robot," the alien hissed in an echoing high pitched voice. "Then the humans."

K-9 fired again and Rose heard the screams of Rani and Clyde behind her.

"This can't be happening," Clyde said frantically. "There can't be an alien versus robot dog match going on ten feet away!"

"That contradicts the facts," the strange boy replied in a very calm voice.

"Again K-9!" Sarah Jane shouted from behind Rose.

"Affirmative Mistress," the robot responded before firing again.

The alien lost its grip and fell to the floor with a thud and another cry of pain. Black ooze leaked from a wound on his front most right tentacle. Its appearance flickered and Rose leaned forward with curiosity as the image settled back to the form of the human tour guide. He starred up at her and Sarah Jane in shock before his eyes flew back to K-9.

"Leave him K-9," Sarah Jane commanded as she left her position behind Rose.

The alien pulled himself to his feet and backed out the doorway. Sarah Jane sighed in relief and went down the stairs to pat K-9 on his head. "Good dog."

"Affirmative," K-9 agreed with a wag of his tail.

Sarah Jane smiled and then leaned down to inspect the black ooze and pulled a small vile from his pocket. Shaking her head, Rose allowed her sword to resume the inactive state of her bracelet and allowed Rani to slip past her.

"What's going on?" Rani asked as she approached Sarah Jane and gave K-9 an odd look.

"Rani, don't get involved," Sarah Jane said quickly.

"It's a bit late for that," Rani said with a small nervous smile. "That thing was going to kill us. You can't get more involved than that."

"I suppose so," Sarah Jane admitted with a sigh as she stood back up and sealed the vial. Turning back to Rose, Sarah Jane tossed the vial up to her. "But now it is time for you and Clyde to go home where it is safe."

"Bloody hell!" Clyde shouted from up the stairs.

Rose spun around and bit back a curse as she realized that Clyde had gone all the way up to the attic. She didn't bother to look back at Sarah Jane as she knew the woman would be very angry.

"Clyde!" Rose shouted as she slipped past the engineered boy and rushed up the stairs. "Come back here."

"Don't go up there!" Sarah Jane shouted from the ground floor. "Clyde Langer stop this instant!"

Rose reached the attic and sighed as she found Clyde starring in shock at Mister Spock.

"Rose, please explain what is occurring," Mister Spock said calmly.

"In a tick," Rose said with a sigh. Stepping away from the door, Rose sat down on the sofa and waited for Sarah Jane to catch up. A few moments later Rani dashed into the room, evading Sarah Jane's hand that was trying to grab her. As Sarah Jane stepped into the attic and caught Rose's eyes, Rose shook her head and said, "I don't think there's much a choice now."

"Tell us what is happening," Clyde pressed. "A huge alien with tentacles was just beaten back by a robot dog shooting lazer beams and you've got a giant computer in your attic."

"Clyde's right," Rani said as she crossed her arms. "We're part of this now even if you don't like it so you might as well just tell us the truth."

"What do you think it is?" Rose asked with an amused smile.

"Aliens," Rani said with a nod. "Just like Clyde said, aliens with tentacles. That robot dog is probably alien too since it had lazer beams."

"Actually K-9 is terrestrial in origin, not alien," Rose said with a smirk.

"K-9?" Clyde asked as he chuckled. "That's a bad pun."

"Your opinion is of no importance to this unit," K-9 said as he rolled into the room. "Awaiting orders Mistress."

Sarah Jane sighed loudly and shook her head before walking to join Rose on the sofa. "I suppose you've seen too much already. It's not as if anyone is going to believe you."

"Rose," Mister Spock said. "I detected an alien downstairs, are you well?"

"The situation has been dealt with Mister Spock," K-9 replied sharply.

"Oh don't start that up now boys," Rose said with a groan as she forced herself to stand. "No snarking computers today." Rose held out the vial that Sarah Jane had tossed to her. "Mister Spock I need an analysis."

"Of course Rose, I shall assist in any way I can," Mister Spock said smoothly as he opened a panel for Rose to insert the sample.

"Thank you," Rose replied. "And I do mean it, you and K-9 be good." Rose turned back to Sarah Jane and saw both Clyde and Rani starring at her with slightly slack jawed expressions. "Sit down," Rose commanded. "It will be easier that way."

Rani and Clyde sat on either side of Sarah Jane on the sofa and Rose took a seat at the workbench. Sarah Jane looked over at Rose, but Rose just shrugged and smiled.

"Alright then," Sarah Jane said taking a breath. "Aliens are real and many have come to Earth over our history. Some of the stories you hear are in fact the truth, covered up by governments to keep people calm and sometimes just ignored by humans for the sake of our own comfort."

"This place is beautiful," the engineered boy said as he wandered the room looking at all the trinkets and gadgets that Sarah Jane had collected over the years.

"Thank you," Sarah Jane said with a real smile. That seemed to relax her slightly and she looked back at Rani. "Some aliens crash here on Earth, some get lost and sometimes they try to invade."

"So you what?" Rani pressed. "Where do you two fit in on this?" 

"We help when we can," Sarah Jane replied. "Sometimes that means helping aliens get home and sometimes it means fighting them."

"And I thought you were a journalist," Rani said with a chuckle and a shake of her head.

"I am," Sarah Jane said with a smile. "Sometimes I just find alien activity while investigating."

"I suppose that being an investigative journalist is a good cover," Clyde said weakly.

"Oh I was an investigative journalist first," Sarah Jane said. "That's how I got started with aliens in the first place."

"What about you?" Clyde asked Rose. "Are you really a university student?"

"Yes," Rose said. "I am and my mother doesn't know about aliens so you are not to mention this in front of her."

"Why not?" Rani asked. "She's your mother."

"Some people can't handle it," Rose said. "And I'm not sure that my mother can. Once you see the greater scope of the world you can't go back."

Rani and Clyde both were quite for a moment at Rose's words and Sarah Jane stood up from her position to walk over to the engineered boy who was staring at Mister Spock with curiosity. Sarah Jane lead his over to the sofa and had him sit down with the other two children before sitting down in an armchair.

"How did you get started?" Rani asked looking over at Rose. "I mean how did this happen to you?"

"The Doctor," Rose and Sarah Jane said at the same time with a smile towards each other.

"Who is that?" Clyde asked with a curious glance between them.

"Rose," Mister Spock said suddenly. "I have completed my analysis."

"Later,' Rose said as she stood up. "Right now we have other things to worry about." Rose glanced over at Sarah Jane before looking back at Rani and Clyde, "First rule is that if you are going to stay here, you do what we tell you to do."

"Alright," Rani agreed with a nod.

"Fine," Clyde added after a moment.

Rose turned back to Mister Spock, "What have you got for us?" 

"The blood is from a creature known as the Bane," Mister Spock announced. "This species is ruled by a creature known as the Bane Mother which produces children that serve it. The Bane children are large, green, cephalopod-like creatures. They have seven ambulatory tentacles, three on each side and another on their end. They have a large, single eye on their heads and rings of tentacles around their mouths."

"Alright Mister Spock. We know that," Rose interrupted. "So why didn't you connect them to Bubble Shock earlier?"

"My analysis of Bubble Shock was prevented Rose and there are many species and plants known as Bane throughout the universe." Mister Spock replied, "This species of Bane is known as Bane species 74 by the Shadow Council."

"Oh," Rose said with a slightly embarrassed look, "I guess that makes sense then."

"What else do you know about them?" Sarah Jane asked.

"Bane Species 74 live in colonies with their Mother meaning that this groups Bane Mother should be nearby. They have no central government and travel from planet to planet to consume resources and the native species, often by total subjection and conversation of the native populations. When they finish with a planet they move on."

"They enslave people?" Clyde questioned. "How?"

"The Bane Mother secrets an enzyme that has addictive properties and creates a mental link between the mother and those who have consumed the enzyme. I believe this enzyme is the key ingredient of Bubble Shock."

"It also explains why it resisted analysis," Sarah Jane said before turning her attention to the boy the Bane had created. "Come here."

"Wait a tick," Clyde said with an edge of panic. "I've been drinking that stuff." Clyde then pulled out a bottle of bubble shock from his hoodie pocket. "You're saying that there is a bit of alien in this drink and that can take over my mind."

"Rule one, don't panic," Rose said as he squeezed the boy's shoulder.

"I thought rule one was to obey you and Sarah Jane," Clyde said, his eyes still wide.

"I'm making that rule two. Don't panic is more important Clyde," Rose said firmly. "Panic keeps you from thinking properly and in these cases that is what is vital."

"Okay," Clyde said. "So what we call the government and tell them to bomb the factory? You said they know about aliens." 

"Yes, but many of UNIT's people have probably been drinking Bubble Shock," Sarah Jane said with a frown. "Rose and I haven't drank it so we can't be taken over."

"Plus we don't want the aliens to panic," Rose added. "We get as much information as we can first. Now Clyde, when you left the tour group what happened?"

Clyde nodded and took a breath. He licked his lips before he said, "I remember that I wanted to call a friend to meet me after the tour. Then I woke up in Mrs. Wormwood's office. They said that I fainted when I was exposed to some chemical and that I had been found by a worker." Clyde paused, "Come to think of it she said that my phone was missing when they found me, said it must have fallen into a grate or something."

"But you don't' remember anything else?" Sarah Jane pressed.

"According to my database, Bane Children have low level telepathic abilities when compared to their Mother, but they would be significant enough to erase part of a human's memory as humans lack mental defenses," Mister Spock injected.

"Alright," Rose said with a nod. "That seems to verify that the mobile phones are a weakness."

"But the Bane look human," Rani said. "The guide was around a lot of active mobiles before we turned them off."

"Mister Spock said that the Bane Mother would be close to the children," Sarah Jane reminded Rani. "Maybe the mobile signals don't bother the children, but maybe they hurt the children."

"It would make sense for the Bane Mother to be in the factory," Rose agreed with a nod. "That way they didn't have to transport the enzyme. Plus if they bothered to erase part of Clyde's memory than it makes sense that he saw something he shouldn't have."

"You mean I saw that thing's mother and don't even remember it?" Clyde asked with an angry note to his voice. He looked at the bottle of Bubble Shock that he was still holding, shuddered and tossed it into the nearby bin.

Sarah Jane's expression was dark as she put a hand on the shoulder of the Bane engineered boy and walked him over in front of Mister Spock. "I need you to stay still for me," Sarah Jane told him and he nodded to show his understanding. "Mister Spock, scan the boy."

Sarah Jane and Rose both stepped back as a light flashed on Mister's Spock's panel. A greenish beam of light moved over the boy's body and an image of his DNA appeared on the screen.

"This boy is human," Mister Spock announced. "His DNA contains genetic information from many different sources and is compounded beyond the DNA of a naturally born human." 

"So what exactly does that mean?" Rani asked.

"He was genetically created by the Bane," Sarah Jane said.

"Probably to help them find out why 2% of the population are immune to the Bane enzyme," Rose said to Rani. "After all, they want the whole population under their control. The United Kingdom is only the beginning, once they can make Bubble Shock work on everyone they will start releasing everywhere else." Rose turned to Sarah Jane. "We need to stop it here."

"Agreed," Sarah Jane said before she turned back to Mister Spock. "I want a direct visual link to Mrs. Wormwood at the Bane factory."

"What you can just phone her?" Rani asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Mister Spock can hack into anything," Rose said as she sat back down on the sofa, out of view of the screen. "Earth security systems don't really present a challenge to him."

Rose pulled out her own phone and stared down at the screen, pressing the speed dial for the TARDIS. She didn't even notice the boy the Bane made coming over to sit with her.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a low voice.

"Considering calling for help," Rose said softly. "My phone is a lot more powerful than most so I could call.." Rose snapped the phone shut and shook her head.

"Then why don't you call for help?" the boy asked.

"Because humans need to learn to deal with this on our own," Rose said softly. "You can't grow up unless you learn to fix things on your own."

The boy nodded and turned his attention back to Mister Spock and he hacked into the Bane's system. A series of numbers appeared on the screen as they linked into the Bane's system. Rose glanced at the strange boy and found him watching the screen with interest. He stood up as Mister Spock read out the numbers and joined Rani by Sarah Jane.

"That's like their phone number," Sarah Jane explained to Rani.

Then the screen changed to a clear view of Mrs. Wormwood large white office complete with bright orange furniture. A moment later the tall blonde woman stepped into view.

"Mrs. Wormwood," Sarah Jane said in greeting.

"Oh very clever," Mrs. Wormwood said cooling.

"Thanks for the assassination attempt," Sarah Jane said with a calm smile.

"My pleasure," Mrs. Wormwood said with a tight frown. "The next one will involve harpoons."

"I know who you are," Sarah Jane said. "And I know what you are. Bane. Now leave this planet."

"Are you declaring war?" Mrs. Wormwood asked cooling, not appearing concerned in the slightest.

"Mrs. Wormwood, the universe is huge and Earth is very small. You don't need to do this. I am asking you as one species to another just leave this world. Leave us in peace, please."

"And if I don't?"

"Then you will be stopped," Sarah Jane said with a raise of her chin.

"You'll stop us?" Mrs. Wormwood said with a raised eyebrow. "Very well, in the language of your young ones: bring it on." Mrs. Wormwood then stepped forward and ended the connection.


	34. Invasion of the Bane: Calling the Bane

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Thirty-Four: Calling the Bane

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Many of you have asked about the remaining episodes for the 'season' so I'll give you some information. The next two episodes (8 and 9) are rewrites, one of the episode Rose and the other of an episode from the Sarah Jane Adventures. Episodes 10,11, 12 and 13 are all original. The final episode for the 'season' The Gateway of the Sun takes place in South America and will guest star Astra. A major question about Astra will be answered so stay tuned for that episode.

Rose ignored Sarah Jane speaking with the children for a few minutes while she quickly called Sharon and Shireen to warn them about Bubble Shock. They expressed their usual worry for her and promised to call UNIT if they didn't hear from Rose in the next hour. Taking a breath, Rose again resisted the urge to call the Doctor and wondered if it was really her desire to see humans learn to deal with hostile aliens without his help or if it was pride. She wasn't certain and tucked the phone back into her pocket before turning her attention back to Sarah Jane. The older woman was staring at the floor plans of Bubble Shock with her back to Sarah Jane. Standing up, Rose moved up to join her and crossed her arms across her chest.

"What do you think?" Rose asked in a low voice. "They're going to come after you and the boy."

"Maybe you should take him up to Cambridge," Sarah Jane suggested. "Barbara and Ian would understand the need to protect him from the Bane. If they do plan to use him to make the enzyme work on everyone then we have to keep him away from them."

"Ian drinks Bubble Shock," Rose said softly. "And we don't know if our mutated white blood cells would fight that enzyme so they aren't safe for him either." Rose smiled slightly at Sarah Jane, "Besides I'm not leaving you here alone with them hunting you." Sarah Jane didn't respond to that, but Rose saw her face shift between a smile and a look of resignation.

"So any ideas?" Sarah Jane asked a moment later.

"Bomb the factory," Rose said with a shrug. "Honesty, removing their source of the enzyme seems like the best course of action." Rose paused for a moment before she suggested, "I could call UNIT."

"No," Sarah Jane said sharply. "You know how I feel about military organizations and guns."

"I know," Rose said with a sigh. "But Sarah Jane they are willing to kill us and we might not have a lot of time. They know we're onto them and that changes their plans. A quick strike by UNIT might be the best answer."

A sudden cry from behind them broke up the argument as the boy the Bane made shouted, "Clyde Langer!"

Both Sarah Jane and Rose spun around to find Clyde gasping for air and collapsed on the floor. He looked up at them, his eyes wide and pained.

"Help me," Clyde gasped. "There's something in my head."

"It's beginning," Sarah Jane said as she moved towards Clyde. "Clyde, fight it!"

The boy groaned and starting shaking. Looking back up at Sarah Jane he gasped, "The voice… drink Bubble Shock, convert the humans..." Clyde flinched and his eyes fell shut. Then his eyes snapped open and Rose saw an almost orange haze pass over them before he stood up. Clyde reached into the bin and pulled out the bottle of Bubble Shock that he had discarded earlier. "Drink it," he said in a monotone dull voice. He held the bottle out to Sarah Jane, "Drink it."

"Time to go!" Sarah Jane snapped as she grabbed her coat. Rose pushed the boy and Rani towards the door, keeping her eye on Clyde. Sarah Jane was right behind her and they rushed down the stairs. "K-9!" Sarah Jane shouted, "Into the car."

"Affirmative Mistress," K-9 replied from the doorway where he was guarding. "Activating levitation mode." The small robot rose a foot off the ground and headed for the empty doorframe. Rose glanced at the door that had been pulled off his hinges as she moved to the car. Rani looked across the street, panic on her face that changed into determination as she spotted her mother by their front door.

"Mum!" Rani shouted, "Stay inside, it isn't safe right now."

Gita Chandra then turned towards Rani with a blank expression and held out a bottle of Bubble Shock towards Rani. "Drink it!"

"No!" Rani screamed.

"Rani!" Rose shouted, "We can't help them, we have to get to the factory!" 

Rani backed away from her approaching mother and followed the boy into the car. K-9 floated in behind them and Rani allowed the robot to settle on her lap with a very confused look on her face. Rose climbed into the car just as Sarah Jane had started the engine. They backed out of the driveway and Rose gasped at the sight of the street. People were coming out of their homes all down Bannerman Road with bottles of Bubble Shock in trances. A glance back at the house revealed that Clyde was moving out the front door at a slow pace and chanting with the others.

"This is bad isn't it," the boy said in the back of the car.

Rani shoved K-9 onto the boy's lap and leaned forward. "What do we do?"

"Rani, two types of people in the world: people who panic and then there's us," Sarah Jane replied firmly. "Got it?" 

"Got it," Rani said.

"Good, then put your seatbelt on," Sarah Jane said. "I'm going to have to get creative." 

As Sarah Jane sped away from her home, weaving around all the people in trances, Rose spotted her own mother among them and forced herself to take a breath. She reminded herself of what she had told Rani, there was nothing they could do except go to the source. Sarah Jane remained focused on the road as they rushed towards the Bubble Shock Factory. It seemed like whenever Rose looked out the window someone was running from the horde of Bane zombies with their bottles of Bubble Shock. Rose risked a glance over at Sarah Jane who was tense and her eyes wide as she rapidly reacted to the movement of people on the streets.

"Rose, sonic pen," Sarah Jane said quickly. "We're almost there."

Without a word, Rose pulled out her sonic pen and held it ready as the Bubble Shock gates came into view with one last sharp turn. Quickly, Rose activated the sonic pen and the gate swung open. The car stopped by the Bubble Shock bus with a sharp jerk and they piled out.

"Sarah Jane," the boy said as he pointed behind them towards the gates.

The gate of the factory had closed just in time to block the horde of Bane zombies that were still chanting drink it.

"They must be calling the newly converted to the mother," Sarah Jane observed calmly. "Rose the doors." 

Rose held up her sonic pen, but frowned as nothing happened. She tried a second time with no success. "The doors are deadlock sealed!"

"K-9," Sarah Jane said, "Your turn, cut around the deadlock seal"

"Affirmative mistress," K-9 replied before he moved towards the doorway.

Rose and Sarah Jane glanced back at the crowd gathering outside the gates as K-9 fired at the wall. The deadlocked metal did not melt, but the bricks surrounding it became to crumble. It took the robot dog only a few moments to blast a narrow section that they could climb through.

"Excellent K-9," Sarah Jane said with a grin. "Come on!"

Rose moved ahead of Sarah Jane and called forth her sword before stepping through the opening. The factory was oddly quiet with only the sounds of the machines running. Moving quickly, the small group moved past the main entrance hall and headed for the deeper sections of the factory.

"So is there a plan?" Rose asked Sarah Jane was they walked into one of the darker corridors. "Or are we just making this up as we go?"

"Mobile phones right, we get close and start using them," Sarah Jane suggested.

"And if that isn't enough?"

"Poke it with your sword," Sarah Jane suggested with a shrug.

Rose was about to respond when suddenly a group of five men in the orange jumpsuits stepped out of a large room at the end of the hall. The head one grinned at the sight of them. Then their huamn images flickered and were replaced with the Bane in their true forms.

"Hurry and get to the Bane Mother!" Rose shouted as she stepped out K-9's way and allowed the robot dog to take a shot at the first one. The darkness of the corridors made it difficult for Rose to track the large green creatures as they climbed over the walls and disappeared behind machinery and pipes.

"Come on!" Sarah Jane shouted to Rani and the boy, dragging them away from K-9 who was still firing at their attackers.

"Hurry!" Rose shouted as one of the Bane thrust a tentacle towards her. Rose swung her sword sideways, slicing a deep gash in the tentacle. She smirked as the black blood spurt forth onto the floor and shifted her position as it swung back at her.

Sarah Jane grabbed the boys hand and pulled him towards the main room. The doors burst open in front of her and she gasped as a sudden high screech filled the air.

"Ah Miss Smith," Mrs. Wormwood said from across the room. "How nice of you to join us."

"I warned you," Sarah Jane said as she stepped deeper into the room. "Leave this planet."

"Have you met my mother?" Mrs. Wormwood asked dramatically with a gesture towards the ceiling.

The massive Bane Mother was wrapped around the pipes of the building with the walls of the room built around her. The massive eye blinked down at Sarah Jane and the many tentacles were moving and wrapped around the pipes and its eye. Rani gasped loudly at the sight of it and grabbed the boy's hand as he starred up at the creature in amazement.

"Oh good, you brought us the Archetype."

"You made a living human being out of the visitors in order to make Bane work on everyone," Sarah Jane said. "Not that hard to figure out."

"Indeed, he is an assemble of thousands of humans," Mrs. Wormwood replied with a smirk. "But since we've advanced our plans he is no longer needed."

Mrs. Wormwood lifted up her hand and pressed down on a large ring. A high pitched hum, a few levels above the sonic screwdriver echoed in the room and the boy collapsed back against the wall. Rani grabbed him and guided him to the floor gently.

"He's just a boy," Sarah Jane protested as she looked down at him.

"Oh that's so sweet," Mrs. Wormwood mocked. "He's dying and you'll join him very soon Miss Smith like all human. Our slave control is activated. The time of man is over. The time of Bane has come." 

Rose ducked the tentacle and with a shout swung her sword with both hand to the right in a downward swing, throwing her weight on the blade. The Bane gave another cry as a large chunk of its tentacle fell to the floor and the black ooze sprayed out onto her leather jacket.

"Mistress Rose," K-9 said from behind her. "Step to the right."

Rose obeyed and jumped to the side in time to avoid K-9's laser beam. The injured Bane gave one last final scream before collapsing.

"I think that's all of them."

"Hostile group has been eliminated," K-9 announced in agreement. "Suggest rejoining Mistress."

"Right," Rose said as she wiped off her face with a disgusted look. "The sooner we're done here, the sooner I can wash my hair and try to save this coat."

Mrs. Wormwood calmly watched as Sarah Jane put her coat over the boy to keep him warm as he panted for breath. "You failed Miss Smith."

The boy lifted his arm and pulled Sarah Jane's mobile out of her coat pocket. Rani pulled out her own mobile and hit the send button to her mother. All around them the alarms became blaring and Mrs. Wormwood flinched back a step.

"That is tiny," Mrs. Wormwood hissed as she recovered. "And now you've angered the Bane Mother."

Two large tentacles dropped from the ceiling and swung towards Rani. She dropped the phone and ducked back.

"It's not enough," Sarah Jane groaned.

"No it isn't," Mrs. Wormwood agreed with a triumphant smirk. "This is where your pathetic life has led you Miss Smith."

One of the large tentacles reached for Sarah Jane, but then a laser beam hit it. The tentacle flinched back before another shot hit it. Sarah Jane spun to see K-9 and Rose rush through the door, both covered in the blood of the Bane. K-9 rolled forward, "Suggest withdrawal Mistress."

The robot dog became firing at the Bane Mother, but she just started swinging at the dog. Mrs. Wormwood laughed loudly. "That is certainly an improvement, but not enough."

Rose moved forward and swung at one of the tentacles, slicing into it and gaining a roar from the creature. "I don't think poking it is going to work!" Rose shouted as more tentacles dropped from the ceiling. Rose spun to avoid one of the tentacles, but was caught in the back by another. Her sword slipped from her hand and she was knocked to the ground away from K-9.

"Rose," the boy called weakly. "I need your phone."

Rose's eyes widened as she realized what the boy was saying. She groaned as she forced herself to roll she could dig out the phone. Forcing herself up to her knees, Rose grabbed her sword in one hand and climbed to her feet. As the tentacles started to reach towards her, Rose threw the phone towards Rani and the boy. Swinging at the nearest tentacle, Rose wasn't able to watch as Sarah Jane caught the phone just out of reach of the Bane Mother. Sarah Jane then spun and ducked back behind K-9 before tossing phone to Rani.

"What is that?" Mrs. Wormwood demanded. "What do you think you are doing." 

"This phone can call the stars," the boy said with a small smile. "It's a million times more powerful than anything on Earth."

"Then it is a good thing you don't know our frequency," Mrs. Wormwood stated.

"Mister Spock read it out loud," the boy said with a smile. "And you gave me the memory of ten thousand humans." 

"Just dial!" Rose shouted as she ducked another tentacle. "K-9 and I can't keep Mummy busy forever!" 

"Stop him!" Mrs. Wormwood shouted to the men still in the room.

The boy smiled and quickly recited the dozens of numbers as he dialed then into the phone. Then he pressed send and raised the phone. "Calling the Bane!"

The alarms returned and a high pitched buzzing filled the room ten times as loud as before. The Bane Mother cried out and withdrew all her tentacles from their attacks on Rose and K-9, curling them around herself.

"No! The Ban Mother, you're killing her!" Mrs. Wormwood turned her attention towards the boy. "Archetype, I order you to stop!"

"You made him human," Sarah Jane said as she rose from her place next to the boy. "He's ours!" 

The noise intensified and machines all around the room became to spark and explode. Sarah Jane and Rani quickly lifted the boy off of the ground.

"Suggest you engage running mode Mistress," K-9 said calmly. "Explosion is imminent."

Rose stumbled her way to the door over the falling debris and broke into a run after Sarah Jane and the children. Just behind her, K-9 activated his hover pad and followed. Ahead, Sarah Jane pulled open an emergency exit and helped the boy out the door. "Hurry!"

They all rushed outside and hurried across the yard. Rani screamed as the first explosion shook the building behind them, but kept moving away from the building. The outward walls collapsed in a fiery blaze and Rose joined the others with K-9 at the outer gate. They all watched as the factory walls caved in and the whole place started burning.

"We actually stopped them," Rani said with wide eyes. "I mean we actually stopped them." 

"Are you alright?" Sarah Jane asked them all with a worried expression.

"I'm free," the boy said with a wide smile. "That's good."

"Oh yes," Sarah Jane replied with a laugh. "That's good." Then she pulled the boy into a tight hug. "We would be dead without you. You're amazing."

"Yes he is," Rose agreed. "I'd hug you too, but I'm a mess."

"This is happiness, yes?" the boy asked, his grin even wider.

"Yes," Sarah Jane said with a nod. "This is happiness."

"Mistress," K-9 said. "Humans are fleeing the scene, suggest you follow this action." 

"He's right," Rose said. "I need to contact UNIT for cleanup and I want a shower more than anything in the world right now."

"Your phone," the boy said as he held it out. "Thank you."

"Thank you," Rose said. "I forget to think of this as a very powerful mobile phone."

"Did he give you that?" Sarah Jane questioned.

"Yes, he did," Rose said, knowing who the he was. "He gives you robot dogs and me mobile phones." Rose glanced down at K-9. "I think you have the better deal."

"But mobile phone and sonic pen," Sarah Jane said as they started walking back towards her car.

"Robot dog with lasers," Rose pressed. "I think you still might have the better deal."

"You two better explain all this when we get back to Bannerman Road," Rani said. "You are never getting rid of me now."

"No," Sarah Jane said with a smile and glance at the two children. "I suppose not."


	35. Invasion of the Bane: Luke Smith

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Thirty-Five: Luke Smith

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: And now the reason why I did this episode rewrite despite me not being a huge fan of it: Luke Smith! This wraps up episode seven and I'll return soon with the start of episode eight the rewrite of the episode Rose, yes the timelines have caught up!

Rose jumped out of Sarah Jane's car the instant they arrived back at Bannerman Road. She gave a quick wave to Clyde Langer who was waiting on Sarah Jane's doorstep and headed for the end of the drive walking stiffly and quickly.

"Rose?" Sarah Jane questioned.

"Give me twenty minutes," Rose said seriously. "I've got to wash my hair and get a change of clothes then I'll be back for explanations." Rose didn't wait for an answer as she rushed down the road towards her own home, hoping that she could slip upstairs without Jackie seeing her.

Sarah Jane chuckled and looked down at K-9, "I suppose I should clean you up too."

"Affirmative Mistress," K-9 replied.

"I'll be right back," Rani told Sarah Jane. "I just need to check on my Mum and Dad."

"Alright then," Sarah Jane said to Rani with a smile and a nod before she turned back to Clyde. "You alright?" 

"Fine," Clyde said with a nervous shrug. "Sorry about earlier."

"Do you remember anything?"

"Not really," Clyde said as he shook his head. "It's sort of a blur, but I remember trying to fight it and you lot…"Clyde shook his head. "I didn't do anything too bad did I?"

"You were under the control of aliens," Sarah Jane said. "It wasn't your fault."

"So it's over now?" Clyde asked. "I mean I snapped back and so did everyone else around here so that means that the aliens are gone right?" 

"Yes, Clyde they are gone," Sarah Jane said. She looked over at the boy and frowned. "Clyde do you think he could borrow some clothes from you?" 

Clyde blinked at Sarah Jane and then gave a short laugh, "Sure thing. Let me just run home and grab some stuff that he can use. When I get back-"

"Once everyone is back I'll explain everything," Sarah Jane promised. "Off you go."

Clyde nodded and then took off down the street. Sarah Jane took a breath and turned back to the boy, "Come on let's get inside."

Sarah Jane busied herself with washing the blood off of K-9 first before it could finish drying onto the metal. The boy helped her without hesitation and asked the robot questions about how its systems worked. Sarah Jane had to keep herself from grinning at the boys innocent curiosity about the world teamed with his remarkable learning ability.

Thirty minutes later, Sarah Jane had a tray of tea prepared with some sandwiches with Clyde's help. The boy the Bane had created was in the bathroom changing into the clothes Clyde had brought over. Rani came into the house with a wide smile and snagged a sandwich off of the tray.

"Your parents alright?" Clyde asked.

"Yeah," Rani said. "Mum chased Dad around with a bottle of Bubble Shock apparently, but they're alright. How about yours?" 

"My mum was at work," Clyde said. "I gave her a call and she said that she's fine. I told her I was staying with Sarah Jane while things calmed down."

"Apparently the cover story is that chemicals in Bubble Shock and the factory caused hallucinations and the workers at the factory destroyed the machines in a panic," Rani said. "It is all over the news." Rani glanced around, "Where's the boy and Rose?"

"He's changing, Clyde brought him some things and Rose isn't back yet."

At that moment Rose walked back through the still broken front door, on her mobile phone with UNIT. "Yes General, the aliens have been dealt with… I'm sorry, but I know that a huge percentage of UNIT staff where going to be taken over meanwhile I don't drink the stuff so handling it myself made more sense. Fine, yes I understand. Yes, I'll have a report for you by tomorrow. Goodbye." Rose snapped the mobile shut and leaned against the wall while Sarah Jane gave her a pitying look.

Rose's wet hair was braided in a loose braid hanging down her back and she had changed into fresh clothing. "Well I'm taking the blame for this one so you'd better be grateful."

"Taking the blame with who?" Clyde asked with interest.

"UNIT," Rose replied with a shrug and she walked over and grabbed a sandwich. "I didn't think letting them find out about the boy was a good idea just yet."

"Probably not," Sarah Jane agreed. "He's safest if people don't know he's anything other than a normal human boy."

"So what happens to him now?" Rani asked as she turned to Sarah Jane.

"Well…" Sarah Jane started to say until the sound of a car pulling into the drive distracted her. Frowning, Sarah Jane set down her tea and stalked towards the front door. She relaxed as Johnny Chesterton stepped out of his car and smiled at her in relief.

"You're alright," Johnny said with relief. "My coworkers went crazy and I couldn't contact you."

"I'm alright," Sarah Jane said warmly as Johnny pulled her into a hug.

Rani smiled at the display and turned to Rose. "Boyfriend?" she questioned.

"Yes," Rose said.

Rani smiled and took in the six foot, brown haired and brown eyed man in his late thirties, maybe early forties. "She did good."

"Yes, she did," Rose agreed with a pleased smirk. "Best part he knows about aliens," Rose added loudly with a pointed look for Johnny.

"So what happened?" Johnny asked as he stepped back to look at Sarah Jane. "My mother said Dad started telling her to drink Bubble Shock and chased her around the garden. Now the news is saying that it was all hallucinations so I'm confident that means aliens," Johnny said the last part with a curious glance at Rani and Clyde.

Rose snorted at the mental image Johnny's comment conjured and pulled Rani and Clyde back into the house to give Sarah Jane and Johnny a moment. As they reentered the kitchen, they found the boy calmly waiting for them, except he was now in jeans and a shirt with a pair of old trainers on his feet.

"Oh much better," Rani said with a grin.

"This is good?" the boy asked with hesitation.

"Very good," Rani replied. "Well done Clyde."

"Thank you," Clyde said with a wide grin. "We'll make a real boy out of him yet."

Sarah Jane and Johnny joined them a moment later and Rose greeted Johnny properly with a hug. "So your Mum and Dad are okay?" Rose verified.

"They're fine, but since you were caught up in this you'd better call them yourself."

"I guess that means dinner with them tomorrow night," Rose said with a shrug. "That's usually how this goes."

"Alright, you said that you'd explain things," Clyde reminded Sarah Jane.

"Johnny, this is Clyde Langer from down the road. Rani Chandra from across the street and…" Sarah Jane paused when she turned to the boy. Rose blinked as Sarah Jane seemed to hesitate before she slowly smiled. "And this is my new adoptive son, Luke Smith."

"Luke?" Rose questioned.

"When I was younger if I ever had a son I wanted to name him Luke."

Johnny stared at the boy for a moment and then smiled. "It's nice to meet you Luke, I'm Sarah Jane's boyfriend Johnny Chesterton."

"Nice to meet you," Luke said with a wide smile before turning back to Sarah Jane who simply put her arm around his shoulder.

"Well Mister Spock can make us up some adoption papers and create an identity and history for him," Rose said with a side grin. "I guess the Doctor was right about not discounting grandchildren."

"Let's not rush that part of it," Sarah Jane said.

"My Mum and Dad will want to meet him," Johnny pointed out with a mischievous smile. "They adore you after all."

"Oh Ian and Barbara meeting their future grandchild," Rose cried. "I have to be there for that, make sure you invite me to that dinner."

"Rose!" Sarah Jane chided with a blush, "Stop trying to arrange my marriage." 

"Why?" Rose asked with a smirk and wide eyes. "I bullied you into dating him and that's worked out well."

"As interesting as watching the romantic comedy play out is," Clyde interrupted, "Can we get back to the aliens? I want to hear about the aliens." 

"Me too," Rani agreed. "How did you get started? What is UNIT? What happens now?"

"Rani calm down," Sarah Jane said as she picked up the tea tray. "First let's take this out to the living room and settle down. Rose, will you please get the sandwiches?"

"While you two explain your fascinating histories to these two I'll fix your front door," Johnny said before kissing Sarah Jane on the cheek. "Call me when you explain what happened today."

"Alright," Sarah Jane agreed with a smile. "And thanks."

They settled down in the living room with the tea and sandwiches on the middle table and everyone either on the sofa or in the chairs. Luke sat on the sofa next to Sarah Jane across from Rani and Clyde on the other sofa while Rose lounged in an armchair. Sarah Jane and Rose exchanged a glance with each other, both wondering where to begin.

"What is the sword?" Clyde asked first. "I mean I saw it appear and then it vanished?"

Rose laughed and raised her right arm to show the golden cuff bracelet that she wore. A moment later it shimmed and dissolved into a cloud of golden dust that reformed into a sword a split second later.

"Whoa!" Clyde gasped. "That's alien right." 

"Yes," Rose said with a smile. "It's alien."

"So you've got a robot dog, a computer named Mister Spock and a sword that extends on your command," Clyde observed. "So should I just call you a Jedi Knight?"

"What's a Jedi Knight," Luke asked in confusion.

"Luke, my padawan first thing we do together is watch Star Wars," Clyde told Luke seriously before he turned back to Rose, "So do I just call you Yoda?"

"I'm a Star Knight," Rose corrected with a smirk. "The only one currently in existence to be exact."

"This is too cool," Clyde said as his grin widened. "I mean way too cool." 

"Clyde," Rani hissed. "Focus!" She turned to Sarah Jane. "Well how about we try this again from the beginning of the story."

"Well many years ago when I was just getting started as a reporter I went to a think tank using my aunt's name to get inside. There I meant UNIT's scientific advisor the Doctor, a brilliant man or at least so I thought at the time. But he was actually an alien, a Time Lord. I hid in his ship by accident and ended up in the Middle Ages." Sarah Jane laughed at the looks on Rani and Clyde's faces. "I traveled with him for many years, seeing the universe and human history. Then he was called home and he brought me back to Earth." Sarah Jane paused, "Years later Rose met the Doctor and learned about aliens."

"And then the two of you met?" Clyde asked, "Or did he introduce you?" 

"No," Rose laughed, "He wouldn't introduce people who knew him to each other. We ran into each other while I was fighting a gorgon."

"A gorgon," Rani gasped. "Like in mythology?" 

"Yeah," Rose said with a smirk and look at Sarah Jane. "Since then we've become friends and we work together when we can to stop alien threats."

"Wow," Rani and Clyde both said with wide eyes.

"Oh you must have a lot of stories," Rani said eagerly as she scooted to the edge of her seat. "I mean if you really traveled all over the universe." 

"I've seen amazing things," Sarah Jane agreed with a smile. "Planets, new species, new civilizations, the distant past and the distant future. The universe is a vast and amazing place Rani." Sarah Jane paused and put her arm around Luke again, "But then life on Earth is an adventure too."

"Yeah," Rose agreed. "All of my adventures have been on Earth, this planet attracts trouble at an amazing rate. Some aliens get lost on Earth, others invade and some are just curious about us and visit."

"So what now?" Rani asked. "Now what do we do?"

"I go back to Cambridge tomorrow and attend classes on Monday. You and Clyde go back to school and live your lives. Nothing changes expect how you view the world Rani."

"Just go back to our normal lives?" Clyde asked. "How can you do that? After finding out that aliens are real?"

"Aliens just become a part of your life," Sarah Jane said. "Just like your friends and school are part of your life."

"Speaking of life, I've got adoption papers to get made and report to write for UNIT?"

"What's UNIT?" Rani asked quickly.

Rose sighed and looked over at Sarah Jane, "I'll let you handle this one. I'll get those papers and you can tell Johnny all about the trouble you found today."

"You're the jeopardy friendly one," Sarah Jane replied.

"But it was your case," Rose shot back with a grin before she headed for the stairs.

An hour later, Rose set adoption papers down in front of Sarah Jane to sign with the name Luke Bane written in neat letters, soon to be Luke Smith. Sarah Jane raised an eyebrow and Rose just shrugged with a smile. Johnny shook his head from the armchair, having just finished putting new hinges into the door and screwing it back into place. The locksmith would be over in the morning to replace the ruined bolts.

"Last chance to pick another name," Sarah Jane told Luke.

"If you like Luke then I like Luke," he replied with a small smile.

"Alright then," Sarah Jane said as she took the pen from Rose and signed her name.

Smiling, Rose sighed as a witness and then slid the document over to Johnny to sign as the second witness. Then she handed the document back to Sarah Jane along with a forged birth certificate, records of Luke's supposed homeschooling and the rest of his artificial history.

"Congratulations Sarah Jane Smith," Rose said with a wide smile. "You're a Mum."

Sarah Jane starred at Rose in amazement with a wide smile as the news sunk in and then she turned to her new son and smiled warmly. Rose watched the exchange and glanced over at Johnny who had a pleased smile on his face.

"Well then," Rose said as she stood up. "I best get home and start putting together my report for the General."

"Have fun," Sarah Jane teased.

"I doubt I will," Rose said with an exaggerated sigh. She left the papers on the table for Sarah Jane and started walking towards the door. Rose paused briefly to look back at the new little family as Johnny started talking with Luke about modern technology and Clyde started filling the boy in on basic slang that he would need to know. Shaking her head, Rose slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out her mobile. Quickly she took a picture of the scene and with the touch of another button forwarded it to the TARDIS. Then Rose walked out the door and headed for her home down the street with a large smile on her face.


	36. Rose of Earth: Visiting Friends

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Thirty-Six: Visiting Friends

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Welcome to episode Eight! Wow I've managed to keep this monster of a story going a fairly consistent rate, go me! This is a rewrite of the episode Rose which of course we all know as the first of the New Doctor Who episodes which returned this awesome show to television. I rewatched this episode several time and reread large sections of my own stories in order to get this to come together. I hope you enjoy it and please let me know how it reads since this a very extreme rewrite of that episode.

It was a cool March evening in Central London and Rose Tyler was enjoying dinner with Malcolm Taylor and Toshiko Sato in a small restaurant just off a busy shopping street. She had arrived back in London the previous night to visit her friends and of course her Mum. Her first night home Rose and Jackie had gone out together for dinner and done a little shopping together. Earlier today Rose had lunch with Sharon and Shireen and she was rounding out her visit home with seeing Malcolm and Toshiko.

The trio was sitting in a booth tucked back in the far corner of the restaurant giving them privacy to talk. Rose had wanted to know about the Bubble Shock clean up after Malcom brought up her report. Keeping her word to Sarah Jane, Rose didn't mention Luke to Malcolm even if she knew that he wouldn't go after the genetically engineered boy. Rose could tell that Malcolm knew she was leaving something out, but decided not to push her for the information. Toshiko had listened calmly to the exchanged, mainly asking questions about the phone that the Doctor had given her which Rose had admitted to in her report. In the end Rose had refused to allow Toshiko to take her phone apart and the woman had respectfully dropped the subject. Then they had switched topics to Malcolm's research and then to Rose's classes. Dinner had been excellent and now they were winding down the night with some dessert.

"Well I'm not surprised that your classes at Cambridge are going well," Malcolm said with his wide grin . "I imagine that it is actually a little dull for you."

"A bit at times," Rose admitted with a shrug before taking another small bit of her cake. "But Ian tries to make sure that I get a challenge every so often. He actually gave me this really interesting paper a few days ago that I'm helping him review. Plus dinner with him and Barbara is always interesting." Rose set her glass down and turned to Toshiko. "How are things for you Tosh?"

The Asian woman gave Malcolm a small smile before looking back at Rose. "Things with UNIT are a lot better than I thought they would be. General Lethbridge-Stewart is still follows all the regulations about my parole of course, but most of the enlisted men and other officers are a lot more comfortable with me."

"That's great," Rose said with a grin.

"Yeah, I'm up for review in a few months and I might be allowed some extra privileges since I've done what I'm supposed to." Tosh gave a small sigh, "I hope I'll be allowed to see my Mother next Christmas."

"That would be nice," Rose agreed with a nod before looking to Malcolm. "Is that likely?"

"On the original terms of her parole no," Malcolm said. "But Tosh has since earned my full confidence and of course you've never made your confidence in her a secret." Malcolm grinned, "You have a lot more influence at UNIT than you realize."

"I doubt that," Rose said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm just a kid to most of them."

"A kid that many thought might be related to the Doctor," Tosh insisted. "For months before they verified you were human there were rumors that you were his granddaughter from when he lived on Earth as UNIT's scientific advisor."

"And then when that was ruled out your family tree was inspected for any reasons that the Doctor might have a stronger interest in you," Malcolm added.

Rose blinked at them for a moment in stunned silence before she shook her head. "Does UNIT really have nothing better to do? I'm a future companion who has a slightly off time line in comparison to him. Surely that has happened before." 

"Yes," Malcolm admitted, "It has happened before that UNIT was told by the Doctor to stay away from certain people because of the timelines. You're much more… interesting than those cases due to dealing with aliens by yourself."

Rose shook her head and pushed her empty dessert plate away. "Any other rumors I'd find amusing?"

"Well there is the rumor that you're the Doctor's girlfriend," Toshiko said with a chuckle. "I think Mickey Smith started that one."

"What?" Rose gasped in equal worry and amusement. "Serious? His girlfriend is the new rumor." 

"I'm afraid so," Malcolm said with a nod. "The General and Colonel Benton had similar shocked reactions the first time they heard that theory."

"I wonder if he ever has been in a romantic relationship," Toshiko observed with a distant look. "I mean I know that he's an alien, but still."

"Honestly," Malcolm huffed with a shake of his head. "Why do you people feel the need to gossip like that?"

"It amuses us," Tosh replied with a teasing smile. "You've never wondered what his life is like away from Earth?"

"His companions have made reports," Malcolm reminded her. "He travels the universe and saves planets, species and keeps history intact."

"And you say that you're not a fan boy," Rose said with a smirk in Malcolm's direction.

"I'm not trying to be disrespectful," Toshiko added quickly. "I'm just curious as to what he's like when he isn't doing that stuff." Tosh looked over at Rose, "What do you think?"

"Uh…" Rose once again was at a loss for words before she shrugged. "I suppose he could be in a romantic relationship, but I'd imagine with his time traveling that it would be strange since they might not also meet in the same order. Plus he seems to be in love with traveling and seeing new things…" Rose shrugged as she trailed off.

"Anyway that's the rumor," Malcolm told her with an embarrassed smile. "Just to warn you."

"Well you can warn Mickey that he'll be hearing from me," Rose retorted.

"I'll be sure to do that," Malcolm said as their waitress walked over and handed Malcolm the bill. Rose reached for it, but he swatted her hand back, "Don't even think about it young lady."

"You're so old fashioned," Rose replied. "I asked you to join me for dinner."

"And I see myself as your surrogate uncle," Malcolm told her seriously. "And that means making sure that my niece in university has a decent meal every so often."

"What does that make me?" Tosh questioned.

"An excellent colleague that isn't allowed to enjoy an evening out on the town nearly as often as she should," Malcolm told her with another grin.

Toshiko shook her head, knowing that she wasn't going to win the argument. Malcolm reached into his pocket and then paused as an odd expression crossed his face. He pulled out a small box and put it on the table in front of Rose.

"I almost forgot to give you this," Malcolm said.

"Oh," Toshiko said as she glanced at the small box. "They finished then?"

"Yesterday," Malcolm told her with a nod as Rose reached for the small box.

Flipping it open, Rose smiled as she found the stone from her old pendant that the Doctor had given her all those years ago. She had wondered if she ever really would get it back from UNIT. "Did it help?" Rose asked as she slipped the box into her pocket. The necklace was tucked away at her home on Bannerman Road and she could fix it tonight. Rose smiled at the thought of repairing that necklace finally, although it would just be a necklace as the original protective elements of its circuitry had long since burned out. It was still a testament to her and the Doctor first meeting… well mostly since he didn't remember their meeting in Rome during his first body. Rose forced herself back to the present in order to hear Malcolm's answer.

"We're still a ways from creating a stabilizing point of the sonic modulator technology, but that provided information about what kind of crystalline structure we need. I have high hopes for the current experiments we are running."

"I'm glad," Rose said with a smile before she looked down at her watch. "It's getting late," she observed.

Malcolm looked at his watch and Tosh pulled out her mobile only to nod in agreement. "You're right," Malcolm said with a chuckle. "Well then, shall we depart?" Malcolm looked over at Rose, "You alright to drive home?" 

"Of course," Rose said. "I need to stop in at Henrik's. The coffee maker that Mum bought there yesterday doesn't work and she asked me to return it."

"Then you should hurry," Tosh said. "They will probably close soon."

Rose stood up from the table and pulled on the red zip up hoodie that she had worn due to the warming temperatures. She accepted hugs from both Malcolm and Toshiko. They calmly walked outside and Rose wandered over to her jeep, waving at Malcolm and Tosh as they walked towards Malcolm's car. Rose sighed at the cool temperature and wished that she had driven her motorcycle home instead of the jeep. She chuckled at the thought since even five years ago the notion of being able to afford a motorcycle for in town driving and a jeep for out of town driving would have been unthinkable.

It took her longer than she would have thought to get to the right area and find a place to park. She ended up a few streets down as there was next to no parking immediately by the shop. Grabbing the bag with the coffee maker inside, Rose climbed out of her jeep and locked it. There was still traffic on the roads and many people walking about so Rose wasn't too concerned as she started walking towards Henrik's. She made it into the store just as a warning for closing was announced and sighed in relief. She really didn't want to bother with coming into Central London tomorrow if she could avoid it.

The girl at the returns counter smiled widely at her as Rose placed the coffee maker box on her counter and pulled out the receipt. Rose forced herself to remain patient as a manager was called over to test the machine to verify that it did in fact not work. The transaction took only a few minutes, but Rose heard the new warning for closing as she accepted the refund and signed the returns slip. Heading for the door, Rose moved around the staff which was cleaning up the floor in a frenzy of activity.

Stepping outside, Rose glanced around at the other closing shops and the dark fronts of the businesses in the area. Now that she wasn't in a hurry, Rose started walking back towards her car at a slow pace. Her mobile rang, catching her attention and Rose sat down on a bench to take a call from Shireen.

"Remind me never to go on a date that Sharon arranged for me ever again," Shireen said with a dark tone.

"That bad?" Rose asked. "You were so excited at lunch today."

"I know I was, but clearly Sharon does not understand how a guy can differ from being a nice guy in class to a total arrogant wanker outside of it. All he did was boast about himself and what a great footballer he is. I spent the last two hours trapped hearing about the greatest goals of Henry Bates!"

"Deep breathe," Rose advised. "So are you just looking to vent or something else?"

"I just want to yell about it and Sharon is out since she really did try to introduce me to nice guy."

"Alright then," Rose said with a chuckle. "I'm listening."

"I need more female friends," Shireen said a moment later. "You're not really well suited to this."

"Why not?" Rose asked.

"Well you're in probably the strangest relationship that any human has ever been if so I don't' know how qualified you are to give advice on the subject of dating a human male. I mean you went out on only a handful of dates with human boys and never went out with the same guy more than once." 

"I thought you just wanted to vent," Rose interrupted with a sigh. "Believe it or not, I'm aware that I'm not really well versed on normal human relationships."

"Saddest thing is that you've got the best relationship of the three of us," Shireen said with a loud sigh.

"What do you mean?" Rose asked in confusion. "I barely ever see him and when I do our timelines may or may not be in synch. The version of him that I'll actually get to know in my future has no idea that we'll ever be romantic while I do. How do I have the best relationship?"

"You actually have a relationship," Shireen said. "That makes you the winner by default."

"Oh now that is just sad," Rose said as she slumped back on the bench. "You two need to date more."

"It wouldn't be as sad if you were more honest with the Doctor about your feelings," Shireen said gently. "You haven't told him that you love him yet after all and you really should."

"Isn't this call supposed to be about you?" Rose half groaned.

"Technically," Shireen replied. "But you know how much analyzing you makes me feel better."

"Yes, I have issues," Rose said. "But seriously-"

Rose was interrupted by a massive explosion back at Henrik's as the top floor was blown outwards in a blast of fire. Everyone nearby started screaming and Rose jumped to her feet as she starred across the street at the burning building. Her eyes searched the area for anyone injured, but then her eyes landed on a familiar blue box parked next to the bank in the shadow, now illuminated by the glow of the fire.

"Shireen," Rose said with a swallow, "I'm going to have to call you back."


	37. Rose of Earth: Hello Again

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Hello Again

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Wow! You all astounded me with your reviews! I'm thrilled that the start of the episode went so well. It seems I'm not the only one who has been looking forward to this rewrite. This episode is very much a contrast to the original and I think it is beautifully showing just how far Rose has come in the last seven years, but I can't use the original for much guidance in this one.

Rose hung up her mobile and shoved back into the pocket of her hoodie. Around her the area was clearing and she could distantly hear emergency vehicle sirens. She checked the street quickly before she ran across to the TARDIS. Placing her hand on the blue door, Rose paused as she pulled out her key. She reminded herself that it might not be the correct Doctor, it could be one of his earlier lives. Rose remembered the Doctor telling her about the changing interior of the TARDIS and decided just to take a quick look, if she didn't recognize the interior then she'd leave.

The key fit into the lock perfectly and Rose turned it slowly. This felt like a huge moment to her, the first time she unlocked the TARDIS with her key. This was the Doctor's home and he had given her a key to it. Rose smiled at the quite click and looked back over her shoulder quickly. People had moved away from the blaze, but many were staring up at it from a safe distance. The sirens were coming closer, but no one was looking her way. Rose looked at the sign and gently pulled the door open. Soft orange light met her eyes and she took in the familiar metal walkway and coral supports of the Doctor's TARDIS. Grinning, Rose removed her key and stepped inside the TARDIS, closing the door behind her gently.

She stood at the doorway for a long moment and drank in the TARDIS again. The brown-eyed Doctor had told her that this version of the console room was new when he had regenerated into his blue-eyed form so she didn't have to worry about meeting the wrong version of him. Due to the long tour he had given her, Rose already knew where things were and was able to suppress the desire to go explore on her own. Instead, she walked up to the console and examined the odd bits that made up the controls. A soft humming sound echoed through the room, it was a comforting sound to Rose's ears, calm and at peace.

"Hello beautiful," Rose greeted with a smile as she lightly brushed her fingers over the console. "What trouble did he find today?"

Careful not to touch any of the controls, Rose leaned forward and placed her hand against the pulsing column of light on a whim. It was warm to her touch and Rose thought it seemed to become a little bit brighter when she touched it. For a brief moment Rose heard a strangely familiar haunting tune in her mind, but she couldn't place it. In surprise, Rose pulled her hand away and looked around the control room, but there was no one around. She took a step back and shook her head to clear it. Rose wasn't silly enough to believe she had just imagined it, but she knew the TARDIS was telepathic so it was probably just a form of communication. Reminded about the Doctor's warning, Rose reached up and carefully removed her translator from behind her ear. Gently, Rose slipped it into her pocket, grateful that it wasn't horribly fragile.

"Will you translate for me while you're here?" Rose asked the TARDIS with an amused little smile. "The Doctor says you're alive. I just wonder how much you understand." Rose patted the console again and then walked over to the jump seat. She sat down with a satisfied smirk and leaned back so she could see the doorway.

Only a few minutes later the door of the TARDIS swung inwards as the Doctor pushed the doors open and stepped in. It was the blue-eyed Doctor wearing the very familiar leather coat over a dark green jumper. He had a far off look of concentration on his face and was carrying a plastic head in his hands.

"So what did that poor building ever do to you Doctor?" Rose asked with at teasing smile on her face.

The Doctor froze in his tracks and his eyes flashed to her in an instant. Rose's smile grew even wider as she slipped off the chair. "Rose?"

"I have a key," Rose said as she held up the chain with her TARDIS key for inspection. "I figured I'd attract less attention waiting for you in here than outside."

Walking over to him, Rose dropped her eyes to the head for a moment before meeting the Doctor's eyes once more. He gave her that familiar manic grin and stepped forward as if to hug her before remembering the head he was carrying.

"Give me a minute," the Doctor said to Rose before stepping up to the console and pulling out his sonic screwdriver.

Rose hung back and watched silently as the Doctor placed the plastic mannequin head onto the console and connected a series of wires and cords to it. Tilting her head, Rose examined the odd lump of plastic. It was a plain pale mannequin store head with no interesting features, but the Doctor was working on it intently. Rose paused as she remembered one of Sarah Jane's stories about a species that used Earth plastic in their plans. She recalled their name: Autons. Malcolm had mentioned them before too; apparently they were one of those alien species that really had their eye on Earth.

"I'm lucky I managed to snatch this up," the Doctor said in a cheerful voice. "They had taken over the whole building and already killed one of the workers so grabbing a bit of one wasn't my priority. I can use this is trace the signal back to the source." The Doctor finished his task a moment later and turned back to Rose with a wide grin. "Right then! Hello Rose."

"Hello Doctor," Rose said with a wide smile of her own.

The Doctor swept her up in a warm hug that Rose happily returned with a laugh. The hug lasted far longer than a normal greeting hug would have with both of them just grinning and holding tight. It was a few beats later that the Doctor released Rose and took a little step back.

"What are you doing here?"

"This is planet Earth," Rose replied with a cheeky smile. "I sort of live here."

"I meant the shop," the Doctor responded. "You must have been close to find the TARDIS so quickly."

"Jeopardy friendly remember?" Rose replied with a shrug and a slight smirk. It had been pure luck that she was in the area at all, even if she suspected the Guardians had a little influence on it.

"Oh I remember," the Doctor said with a nod. "But it's March 2005, you're still in school in Cambridge."

"It hasn't been that long since I saw you last," Rose agreed. "I just came to London to visit my friends here and check up on Luke."

"Who is Luke?" the Doctor asked in what was probably supposed to pass as just mild interest, but Rose thought that she might have detected a hint of jealously.

"Sarah Jane's son," Rose said with a grin. "Yes Doctor, I've now met Sarah Jane Smith as well as Ian and Barbara," she said before he could ask the question, relishing the look of shock with a touch of horror on his face. "Sarah Jane just adopted Luke last month after the Bane tried to invade Earth."

'The Bane tried to invade?" the Doctor asked with a hard look, focusing on news of the threat rather than Rose's social circle. "Which one of their methods did they use this time? The enzyme?"

"Yeah," Rose said with a nod. "They put it into a pop drink."

The Doctor made a face of disgust and Rose nodded, "Yeah I hated the stuff too." She gave a pointed look to the head behind the Doctor, "But we can catch up on all the alien invasions you've missed later. I'm guessing that there is something new in town since you saw fit to blow up a building."

"I made sure it was empty first," the Doctor defended. "No one alive was in there when the explosion went off."

"Good to hear," Rose said with a nod before looking back at the plastic head. "Autons?"

The Doctor gave her a smile that was amused, irritated and proud all that same time. "Know about them do you? Yes it is the Autons?"

"What do they want this time?" Rose asked, crossing her arms across her chest and slipping into serious mode.

"Overthrow the human race and destroy you," the Doctor replied seriously.

"My knowledge of them is limited," Rose admitted. "Sarah Jane said that they animate plastic, often using things that look human."

"The Nestene Consciousness animates the plastic," the Doctor said. "And right now it is on Earth making the Autons stronger than they have been before on Earth."

"How did you kill the ones in the shop then?" Rose said with a gesture towards the head.

"There was a transmitter on the roof of the shop," the Doctor said. "I destroyed that transmitter which cut off the signal animating the plastic."

"So what do we do next?" Rose asked. "You said the Nestene Conciousness was on Earth, but if there was a transmitter on the roof of that shop then it wasn't there."

The Doctor gave her a pleased smile. "Right you are, hence tracking the signal back to the source so I can find the Nestene Consciousness." The Doctor paused, "We? You wanted to finish school."

"I do have school, but when it's on Earth you can count me in," Rose said with an honest smile. "This is my home planet after all."

"Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth," the Doctor said, echoing the words he'd said several years before. He starred at her with an odd expression for a long moment as if trying to find some piece to a puzzle that he couldn't quite solve.

"Doctor," Rose called to him when she heard a strange sound from behind him and turned to look at it. "The head is melting."

"Melting?" The Doctor spun back to the console and started hitting buttons. "No! No! No!"

The familiar wheezing noise echoed in the console room and Rose recognized the TARDIS shifting position. She assumed in the current situation they were just moving through space, at least she hoped just moving through space. The Doctor was shouting at the TARDIS and dashing around the controls. Rose just gripped the railing behind her and made a point of staying back from the controls. A moment later the wheezing noise stopped and the column stopped moving. The Doctor rushed past Rose for the door and she darted after him a split second later.

Rose paused to get her bearings as she stepped outside and closed the door behind her. They were on the edge of the Thames on an empty walkway which was probably a good thing given the sudden appearance of the TARIDS and the Doctor's clear tension.

"I lost the signal," the Doctor huffed. "I was so close!"

"Alright," Rose said softly as she looked around. "You said we got close so maybe we can still find it. What are the Autons attacking Earth for exactly?"

"Earth is prefect for them due to the state of things. Lots of smoke and oil, plenty of toxins and dioxins in the air... perfect. Just what the Nestene Consciousness needs. It's food stock was destroyed in the war, all its protein plants rotted, so Earth will be used for food," the Doctor said with a slight huff as he leaned against the TARDIS.

"And how can we stop them?" Rose asked as she joined him leaning against the TARDIS.

Grinning, the Doctor pulled a large vial of blue liquid and held it up for her to see. "Anti-plastic!"

Rose smiled slightly and nodded, "Okay so we have a way to stop them." Rose straightened backup and looked around. "So any ideas of what kind of equipment or environment the Nestene Consciousness needs to take over."

"It needs a transmitter," the Doctor said. "But a massive one! The Consciousness is controlling every single piece of plastic so it needs a transmitter to boost the signal."

"Are we taking an Earth transmitter?" Rose asked.

"Similar," the Doctor said. "Round and massive and in the middle of London!" The Doctor started pacing in front of Rose, glancing around earnestly. Rose frowned at him until he came to stop in front of her, looking over her shoulder. "A huge circular metal structure... like a dish... ...like a wheel. Close to where we're standing. Must be completely invisible."

"Uh Doctor," Rose said as she tried to keep from giggling like a lunatic as her eyes settled on the large London Eye right across the river from them. "I found it."

"What?" The Doctor spun around and looked behind him. "Where?" He looked back at Rose who gave him a shocked look and nodded behind him. "What?"

"Doctor, the London Eye," Rose said with a slight huff and a shake of her head. "Massive round dish, in the middle of London and hidden in plain sight as a landmark." 

"Oh… that's…" the Doctor turned back to Rose and grinned, "Fantastic."

The Doctor held out his hand and Rose grabbed it without hesitation. She grinned as they rushed towards the bridge, ignoring the few people out walking and weaving around them quickly. They reached the other side in short order and rushed down the stairs to the base of the closed London Eye. The South Bank was nearly empty, something that made Rose very grateful.

"Think of it. Plastic, all over the world. Every artificial thing waiting to come alive. The shop window dummies, the phones, the wires, the cables..."

"The breast implants," Rose couldn't help, but add.

"Still, we've found the transmitter. The Consciousness must be somewhere underneath," the Doctor said as he started looking around for a clue.

Rose left the Doctor for a moment and went to the side wall, figuring an entrance off of the main path made the most sense. She followed the wall for a few feet before she eyes landed on a manhole cover. "Doctor! Found something!"

The Doctor joined Rose a moment later and nodded, "Look's good to me."

They located the stairs and climbed down to the manhole cover. Rose was surprised that it was deadlocked sealed or anything like that as the Doctor crouched down and pulled the cover to the side. Red smoke poured out from the entrance and the Doctor looked up at her. "Last chance to head for home."

"I'm not even to dignify that with a response," Rose said as she moved around the Doctor and started down the ladder. "Come on then."

"You're a crazy girl Rose," the Doctor said as he shook his head. "But I think I like it."

"You know you do," Rose teased. "Just be ready."

"I've been doing this for a while now," the Doctor replied. "As you know."

"Yes, I know," Rose agreed. "But I also know how much trouble you can get yourself into."

"You're the jeopardy friendly one," the Doctor said.

"And you're the trouble magnet," Rose said in reply before she turned her attention back to climbing down the rungs. She took a breath and kept her eyes open, hopefully ready for whatever was down here and possibly ready for them.


	38. Rose of Earth: Consciousness

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Consciousness

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Ladies and Gentlemen, Rose is not leaving with the Doctor at the end of this episode so please don't get your hopes up. I have said before that there are going to be four full 'seasons' with Rose on Earth which means there are three and a half stories left to go before she leaves Earth in the TARDIS. I understand your eagerness for her to travel with him, but I remind you that there are still many plot points to be resolved. The Guardians still need Rose on Earth and she has committed herself to finishing school which means three more years of school. As I have said, this series focuses far more on Rose on Earth than most stories.

Rose dropped quietly to the floor and grabbed on the swinging chains both to steady herself and keep it from making noise. The small chamber was very dark with only the odd reddish light giving her anything to see by. She moved out of the way of the Doctor and waiting calmly for him to drop to the floor. The Doctor moved towards a door on the other side of the room and Rose followed him a moment later. He turned to look at her and Rose nodded to him. The Doctor pushed the door open and stepped through.

They were now in a large chamber on a metal walkway. Rose's eyes were instantly drawn to the huge orange mass in the center of the chamber in a round vat. Her first thought was of a blob, but she quickly reminded herself what this was much more dangerous.

"The Nestene Consciousness, that's it, inside the vat," the Doctor said softly next to her. "A living, plastic creature."

"What's your plan?" Rose asked with a glance over at him.

"I need to speak with it," the Doctor said. "Try to do this peacefully."

"Be careful," Rose said seriously to the Doctor before her eyes traveled back to the Nestene Consciousness.

The Doctor nodded before he headed down the stairs to the landing. Rose followed, but left a bit of distance between them. Stepping forward, the Doctor gripped the rails of the landing and called out, "I seek audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract. According to convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation."

Rose's hand slipped into her pocket for her translator, but a moment later she smiled as it wasn't needed. The TARDIS had apparently decided to handle the job today. The Nestene Consciousness replied, "Your request is heard and granted." The voice had an odd gravely sound to it and made Rose shudder slightly.

"Thank you. That I might have permission to approach."

"Granted," the Nestene Consciousness replied, the surface of its mass rippling.

Rose watched the Doctor nod and walk down the stairs, she followed a moment later, keeping her eyes out for any plastic dummies. Her right hand was hanging limply at her side, ready to summon her sword in an instant. She followed the Doctor to the stairs of the lower platform before he turned to her, "You'd better wait up here. I don't want to seem hostile."

Rose nodded and stepped back from the stairs, walking over to the rail while the Doctor made his way down to the main level. Leaning over the rail, Rose starred at the odd creature, before her eyes returned to the Doctor.

"Am I addressing the Consciousness?" the Doctor questioned.

"You are, speak," the Nestene Consciousness replied.

"Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilization by means of warped, shunt technology. So, may I suggest, with the greatest respect, that you shunt off?" the Doctor said with a slightly cocky smile.

"We are pursuing resources," the Nestene Consciousness replied harshly, the form of its body shifting upwards violently.

"Oh don't give me that, it's an invasion! Plain and simple! Don't talk about constitutional rights!" the Doctor snapped back, his tone taking on more of the steel that Rose remembered.

"How dare you!" the Consciousness yelled as it reared its head from the vat. "How dare you come before me-"

"I - am – talking," the Doctor interrupted with a harsh yell. He breathed for a moment and seemed to recover his balance. "This planet is just starting. These stupid little people have only just learnt how to walk, but they're capable of so much more. I'm asking you on their behalf - please, just go."

Movement from the shadows on the lower level caught Rose's eye just a moment too later. "Doctor!" Rose shouted as two autons walked over to the Doctor with surprising speed and grabbed him. They struggled for a moment while the Nestene Consciousness ordered them to hold him. A moment later one of the autons stepped back holding the vial of anti-plastic.

"That was just insurance! I wasn't going to USE it," the Doctor insisted while he struggled against the auton holding him.

"You came to attack us! You came to destroy us!"

"I was not attacking you. I'm here to help. I'm not your enemy. I swear, I'm not," the Doctor insisted.

"Liar!" the Nestene Consciousness shouted as the mass rose from the vat again in anger. "We know you!"

"What do you mean?" the Doctor asked in confusion.

A few feet away from Rose, a large metal panel slid to the side revealing the TARDIS.

"You can to destroy us!" the Nestene Consciousness stated angrily.

"Oh, oh no - honestly, no!" the Doctor shouted

"This is your ship!" the Nestene Consciousness accused the Doctor.

"Yes, that's my ship," the Doctor replied with a small nod and swallow. 

"Our world was destroyed by this technology! Everything was turned to dust and ash! You are the destroyer! We lost everything!"

"That's not true. I should know, I was there. I fought in the war - it wasn't my fault! I couldn't save your world! I couldn't save any of them!" the Doctor yelled with a hint of panic in his voice.

The Nestene Consciousness became to shake and sway with a hideous roar that wasn't translated. Rose eyed the autons who didn't seem concerned with her and glanced back at the TARDIS.

"Doctor! What's it doing?" Rose shouted.

"It's the TARDIS! The Nestene has identified its superior technology - it's terrified! It's going to the final phase. It's starting the invasion! Get out, Rose! Just leg it! Now!"

Rose ignored the shouts of the Nestene Consciousness as she pulled out her mobile. Quickly, Rose typed a message to Malcom: emergency London Eye Autons and sent it. She nearly lost her footing as the room shook and a bolt of lightning shot from the Nestene Consciousness up through the ceiling. A dome of shimmering energy was surrounding the Consciousness.

"It's the activation signal! It's transmitting!" the Doctor shouted to her. "Run! Get out!"

Rose barely held back a snort at his words as she summoned her sword and turned to the stairs leading down. When she reached the main level, Rose rushed towards the auton holding the anti-plastic. It moved with slow and jerky movement so it was unprepared as Rose brought her sword down through its arm. The plastic gave way to the sword with only slight resistance as the alien metal pulsed slightly in Rose's hand. A dull thunk marked the arm's fall to the platform, but Rose paid no attention as she swung her body around and roundhouse kicked the auton in the chest. It stumbled backwards towards the vat and Rose swung her sword again, slicing the chest. The force of the second blow made it fall backwards and into the vat.

The shouting of the Nestene Consciousness filled Rose's ears, but she paid no attention to it as she turned, returned her sword to bracelet form and grabbed the vial of anti-plastic from the ground. Resisting the urge to check on the Doctor, Rose opened the vial and tossed it into the vat. Blue cracks appeared all over the massive form below Rose and it gave a shriek. Turning back to the Doctor, Rose saw him finally throw off the autons grip as it turned its attention to her. The Doctor shoved the auton into the vat with the shrieking Nestene Consciousness. He gave Rose the familiar manic grin as explosions started all around them.

"Now we're in trouble," the Doctor said happily as he glanced down at the Nestene Consciousness. He grabbed her hand, "Come on."

They rushed up the stairs and the Doctor quickly pulled out his TARDIS key. Pushing the door open, the Doctor slipped inside and Rose followed with one last look back at the Nestene Consciousness. She couldn't quite help the little smile that appeared on her face.

"Time to go I think," the Doctor shouted with glee as he rushed up to the controls and flipped a lever and pushed a button.

Rose grabbed the rail as the TARDIS became to move and the wheezing sound echoed through it. When they stopped moving a moment later, Rose opened the door and looked outside; they were a few blocks down from Henrik's. Turning back to the Doctor she smiled and said, "Everything I've heard about your driving doesn't seem to be true."

"Space is easy," the Doctor said a grin. "Time is where it gets tricky."

Rose gave him a humoring smile as she pulled out her mobile. "Give me a moment, I need to call UNIT." She stepped out of the TARDIS doors and leaned against the exterior. "I sent Malcolm a message," Rose said with a shrug, "Just in case."

"Oh come on!" the Doctor pressed as he came to the doorway, "That was easy." He snapped his fingers with a grin.

"Oh please," Rose replied with a roll of her eyes, "You were useless in there. You'd be dead if it wasn't for me."

"Yes, I would," the Doctor said with a nod and an odd look. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Rose replied with a smile. She was about to say something more, but her mobile rang and seeing Malcolm's number on it, she answered. "Hi Malcolm, the situation has been taken care of."

The Doctor reached over and snagged the phone, putting it onto speaker phone before cheerfully handing it back to Rose, who shook her head.

"Rose, reports came in that shop window dummies started moving all over the city." 

"Was anyone hurt?" Rose asked.

"Well, no," Malcolm said. "No reports like that yet, they started moving, but stopped less than a minute later." 

"The transmission was cut off quickly," the Doctor said to Rose. "Well done by the way." 

"Doctor?" Malcolm asked excitedly, "Rose is that the Doctor." 

"Hello Malcolm," the Doctor said cheerfully. "Like Rose said, situation has been taken care of."

"There's some clean up that needs to be done under the London Eye," Rose said quickly. "I'd appericate it if you'll let the General know."

"He's going to want a report," Malcolm told her.

Rose sighed, "Tell him I'll get one to him by Wednesday." 

"That's quite a wait," Malcolm said tentatively.

"If he brings that up then respectfully remind him that I have classes on Monday and Tuesday and Professor Chesterton does not accept I had to save the world as an excuse for not finishing homework."

"I will," Malcolm said with a sigh. "Just don't go running off with the Doctor."

"Oi," the Doctor said, crossing his arms and scowling.

"Don't worry Malcolm," Rose said with a soft smile. "There will be no running off until I finish school."

"Well alright then," Malcolm said with a relieved tone. "Uh well then Doctor thank you for stopping yet another invasion."

"You're welcome," the Doctor said cheerfully.

"Bye Malcolm," Rose said before she ended the call and shoved the phone back into her pocket. "I hate paperwork."

"I don't miss that part," the Doctor agreed. "Alistair always had to fight to get me to file reports."

"I bet," Rose said with a chuckle. She smiled over at the Doctor. "Now what?"

"How about a cuppa?" the Doctor suggested. "Alistair apparently left out some details about what you've been up to. He didn't mention that your sword was actually a Star Knight blade."

"Oh," Rose said with a smile. "Sure then, I could use a cup of tea."

"Excellent," the Doctor said, his manic grin returning. "I'll just show you to the kitchens."

Rose smirked and slipped past him into the TARDIS, "Two lefts, a right, past the pool and through the archway right?" She looked back over her shoulder to see the shocked and slightly irritated look on his face. "I've got a pretty good spatial memory."

"How do you know that?"

"Timey wimey," Rose said with a smirk and a shrug. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait a bit before you give me the grand tour."

The Doctor gave her another long look with his blue eyes before his shoulders relaxed and he nodded. They walked to the kitchens in a comfortable silence and the Doctor started the water when they arrived. Rose quickly sorted out the organization system in the kitchen and pulled out the rest of what they needed for tea. It was only a few minutes later that they were sitting at the small round table, a cup in front of each of them.

"So, the sword that Alistair mentioned is one of the Star Knight blades," the Doctor observed as he examined the bracelet on Rose's wrist. "I guess he didn't understand the importance of that."

"It is such a cultural thing," Rose said. "He might not have fully understood the importance of it."

"Possibly," the Doctor said with a shrug. "So you're met Sarah Jane… how is she?"

"She's doing great," Rose said a wide smile. "We met when she was investigating a criminal ring and I was investigating them as aliens. I didn't know she knew you, but we live on the same street so I wanted to make sure she didn't get hurt."

"You live on the same street?" the Doctor asked with wide eyes.

"The universe has a sense of humor," Rose said with a nod before launching into the complete story of the Gorgon Circle and the talisman. The Doctor listened with an amused smile that allowed Rose to relax slightly. She only briefly told him about the sonic modulator problem with the alien Thane and told him that they'd worry about that more in the future. Rose outright skipped over the awkward event at Christmas, figuring that it was too much for right now. The recent Bane invasion was instead what she focused on, her and Sarah Jane teaming up and the creation of Luke.

"So let me get this straight," the Doctor said when Rose had finished bringing him up to speed, "Sarah Jane Smith is dating the son of Ian and Barbara Chesterton and just adopted a super human boy that was made by the Bane for the purpose of helping them determine how to best take over the human race."

"Exactly," Rose said with a grin.

The Doctor shook his head and chuckled. "Good for her," he said a moment later before taking a sip of his tea. "Good for her."

"She seems happy," Rose said. "Johnny is mad for her. I think they'll get married in the future. Everything about them just fits so well. It is very sweet."

"What about you?" the Doctor asked. "Boyfriend yet?"

Rose wrinkled her nose, "No, blokes my age are pretty boring in comparison to the rest of my life. The UNIT guys that know about aliens and what I do, seem to be more afraid and in awe of me than anything else. It's not a priority of mine I suppose."

"Oh," the Doctor said in response.

"So," Rose said to change the subject, "I thought you were heading off to meet me after I finished school and yet here you are just a few months later."

"That was the TARDIS' doing," the Doctor said with shrug. "She tends to find events that I need to be at and take me there."

"So she doesn't take you where you want to go, but where you need to go," Rose observed with a smile.

"Sometimes," the Doctor said. "Contrary to what you might think, my life is not always like this."

"I believe you," Rose said with a nod. "My life isn't always like this either. It's just the bits in between school and family…. and once a month lately."

"That often?"

Rose nodded and shrugged, "I guess the universe is training me up for traveling with you."

"Which makes me worry what is going to be thrown at us then," the Doctor said with a thoughtful look. It melted away a moment later, "Should be fun."

"Agreed," Rose said. She leaned on her hand and examined him thoughtfully. "How are you Doctor?"

"I'm alright," the Doctor replied, sounding a little surprised by the question.

Rose was silent for a little while and the Doctor shifted uncomfortably. "I'm so sorry about the war and well… everything," Rose said in a soft unsure voice. "I just wanted you to know that."

"How," the question escaped the Doctor before he could stop it.

"I have a friend who is a Verlan," Rose said softly. "Her planet sent infants through the Time Lock to save them. She lived on Earth for a long time… she told me." Rose swallowed, "And with your history…. well I can guess who you had to fight." Meeting the Doctor's eyes, Rose said, "I'm so sorry and thank you."

He didn't ask anything else and looked down at his tea. The tension in his shoulders was back and he was retreating, but his eyes… well Rose thought she might just see some relief in them. Standing up, Rose washed her empty cup and cleaned up the kitchen. When she turned back around, she noticed that the Doctor was watching her with that searching look again. Rose supposed she might as well get used to it now and didn't react.

"I'm sorry that I brought it up," Rose said when she had finished putting everything away. "I just… I keep so many secrets from you because of time lines. It felt like you should know that I know about the war. I don't want to hide things from you if I don't have to." 

The Doctor gave her a nod, but didn't say anything. Rose nodded in return and stood there awkwardly for a moment. "I should probably head out then, it's getting late and I'm driving back to Cambridge in the morning."

"Right," the Doctor said with a nod as he stood. "Come on then."

"I can find my own way out," Rose reminded him.

"Just to make sure," the Doctor replied, a tiny hint of a smile appearing around his mouth.

The silence was not comfortable as they walked back to the console room. Rose paused at the console and patted the column affectionately. "Thanks for translating beautiful," she said with a smile before pulling out her usual translator and slipping it back on. Turning back to the Doctor, Rose forced a warm smile, "I guess I'll see you when I see you. Until next time Doctor."

Rose made it to the door of the TARDIS before she heard the Doctor follow her down the ramp. "Rose," he said uncertainly. She turned back to him and smiled. Rose stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around him in a hug that he returned.

"Please take care of yourself," Rose whispered as she released him and stepped back.

"You too, stay out of trouble," the Doctor said, a smile finally returning to his face.

Rose smirked as she opened the door of the TARDIS. "I make no promises."

The Doctor laughed and Rose grinned widely at the sound. Giving him a small wave, she stepped outside and closed the door. Rose took a step back and watched as the TARDIS vanished with the familiar wheezing sound.


	39. Rose of Earth: An Important Question

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Thirty-Nine: An Important Question

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: This section is still part of the Rose of Earth episode because it needs to happen, but doesn't really fit anywhere by itself. This is the last section of this episode, even if it is only four chapters, because the next episode is going to be a bit longer than normal. Coming up next is an episode mostly based on a Sarah Jane Adventure episode, but rewritten to fill in some plot holes and offer more characters: The Death of the Doctor.

The ringing of Rose's mobile is what woke her the next morning. Groaning, Rose tossed back her duvet and groped for her phone on her bedside table where she had dumped it last night after calling Sarah Jane and Shireen to assure them she was alright. Without bothering to check the caller, Rose flipped it open and answered it in a weary voice.

"Sorry to wake you," Johnny Chesterton's cheery voice greeted her.

"It's too damn early for you to be calling," Rose complained.

"Rose, its ten o'clock," Johnny said with a chuckle. "Normally you're awake by now."

Rose glanced at the clock and grimaced at the fact that Johnny was right. "I had a late night," Rose said.

"Ah yes, the shop window dummies were mentioned on the news," Johnny said. "Sarah Jane's a bit irritated that you didn't explain everything over the phone last night."

"I was tired," Rose said with a shrug that Johnny couldn't see. "I figured she'd remember what an Auton was given that she's the one who told me about them."

"I think she was looking for more from you than a quick phone call and the words: autons, Doctor and taken care of." 

"Are you really calling to nag me on your girlfriend's behalf?" Rose asked as she climbed out her bed and glanced in the mirror only to grimace. She hadn't really bothered to clean up last night so her hair was a bit of a mess. Plus she had actually put on some makeup since she was going out with Tosh and Malcolm so she had black smudges around her eyes as well.

"No," Johnny answered, "Teasing you was just a bonus. I know you're heading back to Cambridge today, but I was hoping that you'd join Sarah Jane, Luke and I for lunch first." 

"I can manage that," Rose answered with a smile as she walked over to her desk to retrieve and pen and paper. "Where at?" 

Johnny gave Rose the time, name and address of the place, but she wasn't familiar with it so Johnny did warn her that it was a nicer place. Rose frowned slightly as he hung up before she shrugged it off. If Johnny liked high class places for lunch and he was buying, she wasn't going to argue.

Rose showered and dressed in clean dark jeans and a set out a light blue cashmere sweater to put on before she left. She repacked her things and headed downstairs. With spring started to show itself, Jackie had the door in the kitchen to the garden propped open and was out tilling the soil.

"Morning Mum," Rose greeted warmly, bending down to kiss Jackie on the cheek.

"Morning sleepy head," Jackie greeted. 'You weren't home when I went to bed last night."

Rose shrugged and sat down in one of the patio chairs, content to watch Jackie at her hobby.

"Well the good news is that I returned that coffee maker for you last night," Rose said.

"Yes sweetheart, I saw the refund note on the table," Jackie said. "Thanks for that."

"Right," Rose said with a smile. "The bad news is that the store caught fire only a few minutes after close. I was sitting nearby talking to Shireen." Rose chuckled, "I got stuck in terrible traffic."

"You're alright though," Jackie pressed as she jumped to her feet to examine Rose. "You weren't hit by any debris on anything were you?"

"No Mum," Rose said with a smile. "I'm fine. It's just good you had me return it last night cause I wouldn't have been able to today."

"It's probably on the telly," Jackie said as she headed for the door.

Rose shook her head and followed her mum inside. Jackie quickly turned on the television and flipped through a few channels until she found the report from the previous night. Apparently only one person had been in the building when it caught fire. The official reason was a gas leak that sparked. Rose sighed softly at the idea of someone dying, but took a little comfort from the knowledge that the autons probably killed him quickly rather than dying in a fire.

"Mum, I'll be heading out in about an hour," Rose said to get Jackie's attention back.

Her mother quickly stood and hugged Rose tightly. "Well thank you for coming home sweetheart," Jackie said warmly. "You need to do it more often." 

"University takes a lot of work," Rose reminded her mother gently. "I love it, but it does require me to live in the same town as my school. Can you image commuting every day."

"Some people do," Jackie reminded Rose.

Rose's expression softened, "Mum, I love you, but has been nice to get my own place and well…"

"Figure out who you are away from you mother," Jackie finished with a sigh. "I remember." Jackie looked Rose over, "I suppose I shouldn't be too worried now should I? You've got a good head on your shoulders, money in the bank and more sense than I did at your age."

"Mum," Rose said with a slight warning in her voice.

Jackie just shook her head, "Alright, alright." Jackie looked up at the clock, "Well if we've got an hour, you can help me in the garden for a bit."

An hour and twenty-two minutes later, Rose parked her jeep just a block down from the restaurant. Remarkably, it hadn't taken as long to drive to the place as she had thought so she was ten minutes early. Still as soon as she climbed out of her jeep, Johnny pulled up just down from her and climbed out of his car with Sarah Jane and Luke. Rose smiled and walked towards them.

"Rose!" Luke said exclaimed as he closed the door. He rushed up to her and hugged her, making Rose laugh.

"You saw me just yesterday morning," Rose reminded Luke with a laugh.

"Yes," Luke agreed with a smile and a nod, "But you are going to return to Cambridge after lunch and I will not see you in person for quite some time."

"Clyde still needs to teach you more slang," Rose said with a sigh.

"Am I still speaking too formally?" Luke questioned with a slight tilt of his head.

"A bit,' Rose said. "Don't worry you'll get it."

"I'm happy if he doesn't," Sarah Jane said with crossed arms. "I enjoy having a polite and articulate son."

"Who is going to be teased horribly at school next year," Rose reminded her with an eye roll as she wrapped a protective arm around Luke. "Don't worry I'll be around this summer to help Rani and Clyde break you in for school."

Johnny who had been watching the conversation laughed, "Shall we head inside."

"Lets," Sarah Jane agreed with a shake of her head. "Before Miss Tyler corrupts my son further."

"That's what big sisters are for," Rose defended with a pout. "Teach their little brothers all sorts of bad habits."

Sarah Jane couldn't quite contain her smile as she turned back to Johnny and accepted his hand. Rose looked over at Luke and winked; he gave her a wide smile in return and nodded. They followed Sarah Jane and Johnny inside. They were shown to a back table for six and Rose turned to Johnny with a suspicious frown.

"Johnny?" Rose questioned while Sarah Jane gave him an equally questioning look.

"I thought it was time to Luke to meet my parents," he said with a shrug.

Luke paled slightly and looked over at Sarah Jane, "I haven't met many people."

"I didn't tell you so you wouldn't worry," Johnny said warmly as they sat down. "Don't worry so much Luke, they'll love you." 

"They will," Rose agreed with a comforting smile. "In fact Barbara will probably want to keep you."

Johnny had an odd smile on his face and Rose gave him a suspicious look, but he quickly banished it from his face and turned to Sarah Jane who was sitting at the end of the table next to him.

"I'm amazed you haven't started asking Rose about last night."

"We're in public," Sarah Jane said in a tone that said clearly that otherwise she would be. 

"I promise I'll tell you," Rose said. "Just after lunch I need to head back, I've got homework."

"Speaking of homework," Johnny said as he looked over Rose's shoulder, "Here come Mum and Dad."

Johnny stood to hug his parents and then quickly motioned for Luke to stand. Luke nervously shifted next to Johnny who gently touched the boy's shoulder. "Mum, Dad this is Sarah Jane's son Luke Smith." 

"Hello Luke," Barbara greeted warmly, "Rose has told us all about you."

"It is nice to meet you Mrs. Chesterton."

"Barbara," she insisted with a smile. "After all if my son is smart you'll be my grandson before much longer."

"Barbara," Ian said with a laugh, "Enough." Ian shook Luke's hand and gave him a wide smile. "It is nice to meet you at last Luke, as Barbara said we've heard a lot about you. Both from Rose and your mother." Then Ian looked over at Sarah Jane and nodded with another smile, "It is good to see you as well Sarah Jane." 

"Always nice to you the both of you Ian and Barbara," Sarah Jane agreed as they sat down. Luke stayed next to Rose while Ian sat next to him. Barbara sat across from Ian with Sarah Jane at the other end of the table with Johnny between them.

"So Luke," Ian said with a warm tone. "Rose says that you are being homeschooled officially right now, how do you like that."

"I'd like to attend school with Clyde and Rani," Luke admitted, "But I still don't know many social customs and normal speech patterns yet which Rose says would cause me problems. I'm looking forward to attending school with them next year."

"Probably for the best," Ian agreed. "That gives you this spring and summer to adjust to everything. Going straight into school so soon probably would have been hard."

"Do you go out with Clyde and Rani often?" Barbara asked.

"Yes," Luke said with a smile. "We went to the movies and a mall yesterday. It was very enjoyable. Clyde explained many things to me while we were out about social habits. I admit that it has been useful to view the films that provide so many popular culture references."

"Ah yes," Sarah Jane said with a chuckle, "Clyde enjoys quoting Star Wars and refers to Luke as his padawan."

"Which I discovered upon watching Star Wars is because my name is Luke," he explained with a smile. "I also understand why he calls Rose, the Jedi Master of the group because of her sword."

"I see," Barbara said with a wide interested smile. "Sounds rather exciting."

"Yes," Luke agreed, clearing relaxing a bit. "I like learning and social customs are much more complicated than the other subjects I enjoy."

"Such as?" Ian probed.

"Physics mostly," Luke said. "I read an article on particle physics last month that was very interesting, but I did find some errors in the logical reasoning and realized the mathematical process that would have made it stronger. It was still interesting. I also find physical cosmology a bit of a challenge due to the philosophical aspects of it. Rose and Mum are fun to talk about those questions with due to their history."

Ian starred at the boy for a moment before he chuckled and squeezed Luke's shoulder in an affectionate gesture. "Luke, you're always welcome in the Chesterton house."

"I think I just lost my place as the favorite," Rose said with a loud sigh, earning laughs from around the table.

"Probably," Ian said with a nod. "Doesn't mean we don't still love you."

"Believe me Ian, I know how smart the boy is," Rose said with a shake of her head. "He could probably do most of my homework in less time and more correctly than I do."

"That would be unethical," Luke said with a frown.

"Which is way I'd never ask you or let you do it," Rose agreed.

The waiter came and took their orders, all the while the Chestertons continued to speak with Luke while Johnny and Sarah Jane looked on fondly. At one point Rose saw Johnny pick up and kiss Sarah Jane's hand and smiled at the display. They really were just too perfect for each other. Rose forced herself to turn her attention back to Luke.

"Rose," Ian asked softly just after they waited delivered their food. "What did happen last night?"

"I ran across the Doctor," Rose said quietly, aware of people sitting not too far away. "He was actually the one that well… blew up Henriks. The place was swarming with Autons."

"Sarah Jane told us about them," Barbara said with a nod. 

"Well, there isn't really much to tell," Rose said with a shrug. "Since I have a key, I let myself into the TARDIS to wait for him. Then we traced the signal that the autons were using to their leader and animator." Rose sipped her drink. "Long story short, the Doctor got himself captured, I used my sword and awesome kickboxing skills to save the day." Rose shook her head, "And I made the mistake of telling UNIT about the threat so now I have to write a report for the General."

Ian frowned, "You have a paper due on Tuesday."

"Which is why I told UNIT they would have their report on Wednesday," Rose said with a slight eye roll.

"Good," Ian said with a nod before he turned his attention back to his lunch. "I couldn't give you an extension."

"That's what I said," Rose said with a laugh, "I told Malcolm that you wouldn't consider an alien invasion an excuse for late homework."

"That just makes me sound unreasonable," Ian said with a slight pout that made Barbara laugh.

"That's why you should have studied history," Barbara said.

"I couldn't handle that in lower school," Rose said with a sigh. "Barely passed back then, so studying it at university would have been a disaster."

"This from a girl who is going to travel in time," Barbara muttered.

"You told me yourself how often the history books were proved wrong," Rose countered with a smirk. "Besides the Doctor loves to give lectures so my bad history gives him a reason."

"Oh," Barbara asked with a raised eyebrow. "Over a thousand years old and he still hasn't kicked that habit."

"If he is blowing buidings up then it sounds like it has gotten even worse," Ian told his wife. "He wasn't into the sort of thing when we knew him."

"Not me either," Sarah Jane said with a shake of her head. "Mind you, he was still more than a little odd."

"That goes without saying," Ian said.

"I hope I meet him someday," Luke said which Johnny nodded at.

"I'm right there with you kiddo," Johnny told him. "I'm the son of the Chestertons and yet I've never met him."

"Maybe he'd come to the wedding," Barbara said slyly.

"Yes Mum," Johnny said with a shake of his head. "I get it you like Sarah Jane enough for me to marry her."

"Well plus we'd get Luke as a grandson," Ian added with a wink to Sarah Jane who smiled widely before he turned to Luke. "What do you think? Should those two tie the knot?"

"I.." Luke glanced over at his mother and Johnny. "I wouldn't mind Johnny becoming my Dad."

Johnny shook his head and pushed back his empty plate. "Well then, if you all are agree then I suppose there is only one person left to ask." Johnny stood up and moved around to the other side of Sarah Jane. Rose and Sarah Jane gasped as he dropped to his knee in front of her and pulled out a small box. Rose was vaguely aware of the whole place going quiet. Quickly, she pulled out her mobile and started recording.

"Sarah Jane Smith," Johnny said as he took her hand. "I love you and being with you has made me happier than anything else in my life. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?" 

Sarah Jane gaped at him for a long moment, "Oh Johnny, it's beautiful."

"Which means?" Johnny asked with a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Oh," Sarah Jane blushed slightly. "Yes, of course. Yes."

Everyone in the restaurant applauded and Johnny leaned up to kiss Sarah Jane very softly. He stood up and slipped the ring onto her finger with a smile before returning to his chair. Luke grinned at them both across the table.

"Oh brilliant," Luke said. "That's just brilliant." 

"Even better, I got it all on video," Rose said with a grin as she waved her phone about. "This is lovely." 

"Yes, wonderful," Ian agreed as he stood up. He moved over to Sarah Jane and kissed her cheek. "Welcome to the Chesterton family."

"Oh yes," Barbara said as she jumped up and hugged Sarah Jane. "Welcome indeed."

"Luke Alistair Chesterton-Smith," Rose said slowly with a look over at Luke. "Sounds about right doesn't it."

"Yeah," Luke agreed with a nod.

"Of course," Rose said with a shrug, "You're going to attract all manner of things with a name like that."

"None of that," Sarah Jane told Rose, but there was no bite in her voice as she couldn't stop smiling and was holding onto Johnny's hand.

"I'm just saying," Rose said with a smile. "Son of Sarah Jane and Johnny, grandson of Ian and Barbara Chesterton…." Rose shrugged and winked at Luke. "Sounds like trouble to me."

"Sounds brilliant," Luke said with a nod.

"I am quite the matchmaker aren't I," Rose observed with a grin to Sarah Jane. "Twisting your arm to date Johnny was wonderful on my part."

"Oh just for that, you're the maid of honor," Sarah Jane said with a laugh.

"You're going to make me wear a dress aren't you?" Rose asked, her face falling.

"And heels," Sarah Jane added with a grin. "And wear flowers in your hair."

"I hate you," Rose said with a sigh.

"No you don't," Sarah Jane observed with a smile. "I wonder if Alistair would give me away."

"What about the Doctor?" Luke asked.

"Wear would I send the invitation?" Sarah Jane asked with a smile, "Metebelis III?" She looked around the table with a soft smile. "If he shows up then wonderful, but I have who I need right here."

Rose couldn't help, but smile at the sentiment and Ian raised his glass to toast to it and the newly engaged couple.


	40. Death of the Doctor: Death Notice

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Forty: Death Notice

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: I'm sorry for the gap in updates, but my grandfather just passed away. Needless to say that real life family event made writing this chapter very difficult and emotional so I had to leave it alone for a little while. This is based on the Sarah Jane Adventures episode The Death of the Doctor but be forewarned that I made several changes to fix some issues I noticed in the episode.

Rose Tyler was just a few days shy of nineteen and waiting impatiently in her apartment. Her foot was tapping as she tried to focus on the news report that she had turned on for noise. The large window in the room was thrown open and her apartment was bright with April sunshine, the chill of winter having finally eased. It was Friday afternoon and Rose was expecting her friends Sharon and Shireen as they had made plans to celebrate an early birthday in Cambridge this weekend. A knock on the door made Rose grin and jump to her feet. She quickly unlocked the door and smiled as Sharon and Shireen came into view. Shireen stepped forward first to hug Rose tightly.

"Happy almost birthday," Shireen said warmly, making Rose laugh.

"Well it is why we're here," Sharon said as Rose released Shireen and turned to hug her.

"Thanks for that" Rose said as she moved to the side to allow her friends to enter her apartment.

"This is nice," Shireen said with approval as she took in the simple, but nice apartment. Rose had grown into the space a bit more and now a few new paintings decorated the wall along with photos of her family.

"Thanks," Rose said. "I've made arrangement to keep it year round."

"You're not coming back to London for the summer?" Sharon asked with a hint of alarm.

"I am," Rose promised. "Mum would have my hide if I didn't, but I realized that I could afford the apartment and this way I don't' have to move every year."

"I can see that," Shireen said with a nod. "Fortunately that isn't an issue for us."

"You two are staying together then?" Rose asked with a smile as she walked into the kitchen to grab some sodas.

"We decided being roommates was working well so we're just staying with it," Sharon said as she accepted the drink. "Even if we can afford separate places."

"I understand," Rose said as she sat down in the armchair she had purchased two weeks ago with a smile. It was a soft burgundy and insanely comfortable. Sharon and Shireen sat down on the sofa that dominated the space. "Sometimes it gets a bit lonely living alone, but I don't think I could explain the TARDIS to a roommate."

"That would be funny," Sharon observed with a chuckle.

"So have you seen the boyfriend lately?" Sharon asked.

"No," Rose said with a shake of her head. "But he called to ask me on a date on my birthday since I'll be here in Cambridge then."

"Are we talking a human date like dinner and a movie or a Time Lord date as in chasing a comet or attending a Mozart recital?" Sharon asked with a smirk.

"Time Lord," Rose admitted with a grin. "He won't tell me when he's taking me."

"When," Sharon said as she shook her head. "You have gotten way too used to the weird terminology that you have to use."

"Maybe," Rose said with a shrug before smirking, "But at least I have a boyfriend."

"Oh," Sharon and Shireen both hissed.

"Burn," Sharon said as she grabbed one of the sofa pillows and chucked it at Rose.

Rose set her drink to the side just in time to catch the pillow Sharon threw and used it to shield herself from the one Shireen then threw. Rose stuck her tongue out at them a moment later.

"You're so childish," Shireen said with a roll of her eyes.

"Oh and who is throwing pillows," Rose teased right back.

Sharon grinned at the two and shook her head. She opened her mouth to say something, but stopped at a knock on the door.

"I didn't think we were that loud," Shireen grumbled as Rose stood up.

"Relax," Rose said over her shoulder. She opened the door expecting one of the neighbors or maybe even a letter from Eve since her birthday was coming and her friends were here. But instead a young and stern looking woman with long dark hair wearing a UNIT uniform was standing there. Two privates stood alongside of her at attention.

Rose instantly stopped smiling and calmed her expression. She checked the uniform and then calmly said, "Hello Colonel, can I help you?"

"Miss Tyler, I am Colonel Tia Karim representing the Unifed Intelligence Taskforce. May I have a moment of your time?"

"Send the soldiers outside," Rose said with a nod to the men. "You're drawing too much attention." Rose then opened the door a bit for the Colonel.

Colonel Karim nodded to the two men who saluted her and turned to walk down the hall. Rose looked over to see Sharon and Shireen standing with curious looks on their faces.

"Colonel Karim these ladies are-" Rose started to say.

"Shireen Bell and Sharon Allen," the Colonel said with a nod to the both of them. "I am aware of you both."

"Uh nice to meet you Colonel," Shireen said with a nod.

"Forgive me Colonel," Rose said. "I've never met you before…"

"I am currently fifth in command of British UNIT," Karim informed Rose. "I operate the Mount Snowden UNIT Base." Karim paused and straightened, "As such I'm afraid that it is my solemn duty to inform you that your friend the Doctor is dead."

"Don't be ridiculous," Sharon said suddenly from behind Rose.

"He can't be," Shireen added as she walked up and squeezed Rose's hand. Rose said nothing.

"Wednesday night at 1500 hours the body of a Time Lord was returned to the Earth at my base. UNTI scientists have checked the DNA results and it is definitely him."

Rose swallowed, her mind completely empty and numb at the horrible words. Karim's expression softened, "I'm so sorry for you loss Miss Tyler. Sorry for the whole wide world because he's gone. The Doctor is gone. He's dead."

Rose felt Shireen put a hand on her arm and somehow extended her hand to accept the death notice from Colonel Karim. A moment later, a hologram appeared in front of Rose. The creature was a little larger than a human male, but had the same appearance as an Earth vulture. The figure was cloaked in purple and spoke gently. Rose forced herself to pay attention to its words even if her mind wasn't working normally.

"The Shansheeth journeyed to the wastelands of the Crimson Heart where upon we found the body of the Last Timelord. Witnesses say that he perished saving the lives of 500 children from the Scarlet Monstrosity"

"Sounds like him," Sharon said softly behind Rose.

"The Doctor's homeworld is long since lost, but legends talk of his love for the Earth therefore the Shansheeth return the Doctor to the human race," the Shansheeth figure said gently. "Oh weep for him peoples of the Earth. Mourn his loss, for the universe feels darker tonight."

The image vanished and Colonel Karim gently lifted the stone from Rose's palm and slipped it back into her pocket. She pulled a piece of paper from her other pocket and held it out to Rose. When Rose didn't' move to take it, Shireen took the sheet of paper from the colonel.

"UNIT is taking charge of the funeral in cooperation with the Shansheeth," Colonel Karim said. "We will be using UNIT base five inside of Mount Snowden. We have arranged transport for you Miss Tyler along with the Chestertons from Cambridge leaving tomorrow morning at 9. Sarah Jane Smith is being transported from London. You have accommodations arranged at the base for the duration of the funeral."

"May we attend?" Shireen asked gently.

The Colonel shifted somewhat uncomfortably, "I'm afraid that you do not have security clearance for entering the base Miss Bell. Only companions of the Doctor, their immediate families and UNIT personnel are permitted to attend. I am very sorry."

"Alright," Shireen replied as she rubbed Rose's arm gently. "She'll meet you tomorrow morning."

"Of course," Colonel Karim replied with a nod towards Shireen. "Again I am very sorry for your loss Miss Tyler."

Sharon followed the Colonel to the door and locked it behind her while Shireen pulled Rose to the sofa to sit down.

"Rose…" Shireen started, "Do you think he's really…"

"Time lines," Rose muttered as she pulled out her mobile and starred at it. "If I called him right now, he'd pick up the phone and have no idea what I was talking about." Rose swallowed, "He only has so many regenerations and once he's out of those then… yeah he'll die." Her hand was shaking a little, "I just…." Rose bit her lip and Shireen wrapped her arms around her as Sharon quickly joined them and hugged her as well. "I just never thought I'd have to know about it." Rose gasped for air as she started crying, "God I- I can't do this."

Rose pushed her friends away and fled into the bathroom. Locking the door, Rose started sobbing and sat down on the cool tile floor. Pushing her hair out of the way, Rose set her mobile on the floor and pushed it away. She could hear Sharon and Shireen sitting down on the other side of the door.

"Rose?" Shireen called softly. "Please talk to us."

Rose didn't respond as she kept crying and gasping for air. It felt like an eternity before her lungs and head hurt too much to continue and she had no more tears left to cry. Soft whispers from beyond the door reached her and she realized that Sharon and Shireen had stayed on the floor outside the whole time. Forcing herself to take a deep breath, Rose reached up and unlocked the door. The click was loud and almost echoed in the bathroom. Shireen carefully opened the door so she didn't hit Rose. Sharon walked to the sink and soaked a washcloth in warm water. Handing it to Rose, she sat down on one side of her while Shireen sat down at her other side. Neither of the spoke as Rose washed off her face and then tossed the cloth into the sink.

"I know something bad happens to me in the future," Rose said with a shaky voice. "But I don't know how I'm supposed to live my life with him knowing how he'll die."

"Rose," Sharon started to say until a heavy knocking on the door caught her attention.

"It may be UNIT again," Shireen said gently. "Better go and answer it."

Shireen took Rose's hand and gently squeezed it as Sharon stood up and walked out to the door.

"I love him," Rose whispered.

"I know," Shireen said gently. "I know sweetie."

There was almost a crash as the front door and slammed shut and Sharon raced back to the bathroom. Clutched in her hand was an envelope made of heavy paper with Eve's familiar hand writing. Sharon shoved the paper at Rose, "The delivery guy apologized for being late since it was supposed to be delivered ten minutes ago."

Rose snatched the envelope and ripped it open before she suddenly stopped. "What if she verifies it?" Rose asked them in a small voice. "I don't want to believe it, but if Eve says…"

Sharon sat back down next to Rose and gently took the paper back out of her hands. She unfolded the paper and then released a relieved breath.

"My dearest Rose, Sharon and Shireen. Today is not a day to grieve as the Doctor is not dead."

A sound of utter relief yet still touched with sorrow escaped Rose and Shireen hugged her tightly. Sharon grinned and continued.

"Instead Rose I am afraid that you are facing another UNIT traitor in Colonel Karim, you have bad luck with colonels." Rose had to laugh at that statement. "A rogue branch of the Shansheeth have conspired to gain control of the TARDIS in order to rewrite large parts of history. Their actions would completely alter time and create a paradox large enough to decay the entire universe. They already have the TARDIS, but cannot control it without the consent of the Doctor or the Rassilon Imprimatur. From what I can make out in my vision, the Shansheeth are using a fake funeral for the Doctor to gather as many travelers in the TARDIS together as possible in order to recreate the Rassilon Imprimatur. This will allow them to control the TARDIS and move through time. Their plan is very dangerous and extracting the Rassilon Imprimatur will cause great damage to the companions of the Doctor."

"That's easy," Shireen said with a smile. "Don't go."

"But they already have the TARDIS," Sharon pointed out with a raised eyebrow. "That's dangerous right there. Even if they can't fly her, that isn't technology you want a species like that to have."

"At least call the others and warn them," Shireen said as she handed Rose back her phone, but Rose shook her head.

"I have no doubt that Karim will be tapping phone calls right now," Rose said. She took a deep breath and smiled. "No, this just became a save the universe mission."

"Oh and you love those," Shireen said sarcastically.

"Better than a real funeral," Rose muttered as she took the letter back from Sharon and notices another passage at the bottom. She looked up at Sharon with curious eyes and her friend shrugged.

"It says for Rose only."

Rose nodded and folded up the letter. She forced herself to her feet and headed for her bedroom. Sharon and Shireen scrambled after her and found her already packing a bag.

"Rose?" Shireen asked.

"I have to go," Rose told them. "I can't allow Sarah Jane, Ian and Barbara to walk into a trap without me."

"What do you need from us?" Shireen asked after a pause.

Rose grinned at her friends and turned to hug each one of the tightly. "Thank you."

"Of course," Sharon huffed. "But the boyfriend better keep treating you right for all you go through for him."

Rose stepped back from them and smiled gently at the both of them. "I need you to head back to London." Rose walked back out into the living room and grabbed her keys. She pulled a key off of her chain and handed it to Sharon. "That is the key to Sarah Jane's house. I may need Mister Spock if things go badly." Rose paused, "I don't want to alert Karim that we know anything is wrong so wait until Sarah Jane has left to go into the house."

"Will Spock follow our orders?" Sharon asked.

"He has a subroutine to obey orders from anyone that addresses him by his name unless they violate his purpose of protecting Earth or endanger his prime controllers, mainly me or Sarah Jane. I needed him to be flexible in a crisis. Plus he had met you before."

"Okay, and you'll keep your mobile on you?"

"Always," Rose said. "And since it is superboosted you should be able to get through to me. That gives me access to information and the base layout if something goes wrong."

"Any plan beyond that?" Sharon asked.

Rose shook her head and laughed, "What is the point of having a plan if the moment I get there things go crazy." Rose paused and actually smiled, "Plus side is that I know Sarah Jane and the Chestertons aren't his only former companions so I'll get to meet some new people."

"Oh he hates that," Sharon observed with a laugh.

"Yeah he does," Rose said before she took a deep breathe. "So next question, do I call Sarah Jane and the Chestertons or wait for them to call me?"

"Since you can't tell her the truth and we didn't think to ask Karim what order they were informing people I'd say like her call you." Shireen said. "You don't want to tell someone something like that over the phone."

Rose's phone rang a moment later and the name Barbara flashed onscreen. Taking a deep breath, Rose answered the phone and lifted it to her ear. "Hi Barbara," Rose said gently.

"Whatever they tell you, do not believe it!" Barbara's voice snapped on the other end. "If a high and mighty Colonel shows up just slam the door in her face!" In the background Rose could hear Ian trying to calm his wife down.

"She's already been here," Rose confessed.

"He can't be dead," Barbara said firmly. "He's too damn smart and stubborn to die."

"Regeneration proves otherwise," Rose pointed out without thinking it through in a soft voice.

"Rose?" Barbara asked gently, "Do you think it is possible? Even with your future?"

"Anything is possible," Rose said slowly and uncertainly. "Time lines are strange, he could have been at the end of his last regeneration. He only has thirteen lives," Rose reminded her.

"I just…" Barbara sighed. "I just don't know if I should believe it or not. The Doctor dying just seems too big… like the whole universe should feel it."

Rose smiled softly, "I know what you mean." 

"So we'll see you tomorrow?" Barbara asked.

"I'll meet you at the pickup point," Rose promised. "I wouldn't miss this for anything."


	41. Death of the Doctor: The Gathering

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Forty-One: The Gathering

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Thank you everyone for your well wishes, they were very touching. I'm going to be trying to update quickly for a while so I get back on schedule. I'm nearly a month behind where the episodes are supposed to be so watch for more updates. I'm sure Classic Who fans will love it and New Who fans prepare yourselves…..

Rose was quiet as she reread the last part of Eve's letter, the part that her friend had marked for her alone. "Rose, I know your life of adventure and secrets makes so many things difficult for you in day to day life. While you have sought to make new friends and live a life beyond your adventures, you still hold back so much. My most dear friend I know where your heart lies and you have acknowledged this yourself. Please be brave and accept life as other humans do; with courage even in the face of the unknown future."

Rose folded the letter and tossed it onto her bed before she hoisted a small duffle over her shoulder. She grabbed her superphone from the charger and slipped it into the pocket of her blazer. A quick glance around the room reassured Rose that she was as prepared as she could be. She was dressed in dark jeans over her black boots and wearing a nice, but not fancy black shirt that was loose enough to give her freedom of movement. Her black blazer completed the informal funeral look. Her hair was tied back in a half up bun with her sonic pen slipped in alongside two hair pins. Whenever things came to a head, Rose wanted to be ready with her phone and sonic close at hand. Her bracelet was, of course, around her wrist and her TARDIS key was tucked under the shirt out of sight.

The pickup point wasn't far from her apartment, roughly halfway between her home and the Chesterton's, and out and out of the way. Rose hailed a taxi and watched out the window in silence as she mentally checked over everything again. Sharon and Shireen had returned to London after Sharon, ever the medical student, had forced her to eat a healthy meal. They had a key to Sarah Jane's house and Mister Spock knew them which gave Rose access to the Xylok's hacking skills if needed. She had no doubt that Clyde and Rani would be right there with them if given half the chance. So far she knew that the Chestertons including Johnny would be in attendance along with Sarah Jane and Luke as her son. It would be the first appearance of the future Chesterton-Smith clan in front of UNIT.

The taxi slowly stopped and Rose glanced across the street to see a black car waiting. Another taxi was pulling over nearby and she smiled slightly as Barbara and Ian climbed out. Paying her driver, Rose grabbed her bag and stepped out of the taxi. Ian and Barbara looked over at her and Ian managed a small welcoming smile. Barbara nodded to her as a soldier stepped out of the black car to take their bags.

"Hello Rose," Ian greeted as he hugged the girl. "How are you?" 

"Not great," Rose admitted as she examined Ian. He and Barbara both looked very tired and their black clothing didn't help matters. 

Barbara hugged her tightly when Ian stepped back and said, "I know."

They climbed into the rather posh car and settled in for the long drive. Unfortunately, with UNIT soldiers who were under Karim's command present Rose couldn't really talk to the Chestertons. Instead she allowed Ian and Barbara to launch into another one of their stories about the Doctor they had known. An hour into the drive north, Rose fell asleep and the Chestertons were content to let her sleep the rest of the way.

The Mount Snowden base in Wales was a surprise to Rose as she looked up at the large structure. Out of the rock rose three large turrets. One of them had a massive dish on it and the center turret had UNIT painted on it. A large opening in the mountainside was guarded with troops who checked the car before allowing them to pass. Despite herself, Rose was actually impressed with the scale of the Welsh base. She supposed that with the British Isles long history as an alien magnet multiple bases made sense.

They pulled into an underground parking center with vehicles moving about and pedestrians moving quickly to doorways. Colonel Karim was standing calmly near one of the pedestrian tunnels leading deeper into the base waiting for them. Rose forced her features into a neutral expression and followed Ian and Barbara out of the car. The Colonel greeted them calmly before quickly ushering them deeper into the base.

"We've allocated bedrooms. The funeral will take place at 0900 hours tomorrow, so that will give you time to acclimatize," the colonel said as she led them through the base. "The doors to the funeral wing will be sealed at 2100 hours. This is still a working military base so you'll only have access to the specified areas."

Barbara glared at Karim's back and Rose looked around before she asked, "Who else is coming?"

"Sarah Jane and the others from London are expected within the hour. Those who had to be brought in by plane are already here and resting. General Lethbridge-Stewart and other currently serving UNIT staff will be arriving in the morning before the funeral." 

"What are you going to do with his body?" Ian asked Karim.

The Colonel stopped walking at the question and turned back to Ian. "Once the funeral is complete the Doctor will be cremated. The UNIT rocket Bad Wolf is due to launch in three days and his ashes will be sent up to be scattered in space over the Earth." Karim paused, "It was felt that the Doctor would prefer that his DNA was not available to scientists and he would not wish to be buried."

"What about the TARDIS?" Rose asked Karim after forcing herself not to react to the appearance of Bad Wolf.

"There was no sign of it," Karim said with a shake of her head. "The body was found all alone. The Shansheeth theorize that it may have been destroyed in the Doctor's final effort." Karim gave them a brief moment, "Anyway, please follow me to your bedrooms. The Shansheeth will begin a ceremony of remembrance as soon as the London car arrives."

The bedrooms were extremely simple with four bunks and two basic bathrooms attached through doors. Two small tables were set against the far wall opposite the beds. Rose tossed her duffle up onto one of the top bunks while Barbara sat at the table closest to the open door.

"I don't trust that woman," Barbara muttered irritably. "Something is off here."

Ian sat down across from Barbara and took her hand. "The death of a friend never feels right."

"So you actually believe that the Doctor is dead?" Barbara pressed, "That arrogant, stubborn and brilliant alien is dead?"

Ian managed a small smile, "Even arrogant, stubborn and brilliant men can die. He only has so many regenerations."

"I suppose," Barbara said softly as her posture slumped, "It just feels like…. I don't know. I suppose it feels like we would have known that he was gone. Like the whole universe would convulse or go still or at least something."

"I agree," Sarah Jane's voice suddenly said from the doorway as she stepped into the small room. "My room on the TARDIS had more space than this. Are we all really supposed to sleep here?"

Barbara laughed and stood up to hug Sarah Jane in greeting. Rose grinned at Luke as he accepted a hug from Ian and was snatched into a hug the moment Barbara released Sarah Jane. Johnny shook his head and brought their bags over to the beds and nodded to Rose.

"How are you?"

"I've been better," Rose said with a slight shrug. "I can't believe the funeral isn't until tomorrow."

"Sarah Jane,' Barbara asked, "Do you think he's dead?"

"No," Sarah Jane said firmly, making Rose smile. "The Doctor is the sort to go out loudly, not quietly."

Johnny sighed as he looked over at the two women and exchanged a look with his father.

"I agree," Rose said softly attracting their attention. "But if he isn't really dead than that makes this funeral a ruse, but for what reason?" Rose paused, unsure of how much she could safely tell them without Karim making her move.

Ian gave Rose a long searching look while he wrapped his arm around Barbara. "Karim said that once Sarah Jane arrived there would be some kind of ceremony." 

"The ceremony of remembrance," Luke provided from his spot close to his mother. "The colonel said it is just down the hall."

"Well then," Sarah Jane said with a lift of her chin. "Shall we go and see whom UNIT rounded up for this."

Sarah Jane led the way and Luke dropped back next to Rose while Johnny and his father spoke softly in front of them. "You know something don't you?" Luke pressed in a soft voice.

Rose couldn't quiet help her smile, "Why do you think that?" 

"I just finished reading a book on the signs a human's face make when they are lying or at least editing the truth," Luke explained in his familiar matter of a fact voice.

Rose sighed and muttered, "Figures you'd find a way to become a human lie detector." Rose glanced up at one of the cameras that was monitoring the hall, "Just be careful Luke and stay close to Sarah Jane." 

"I will," Luke promised with a nod. "Dad and I won't let anything hurt Mum."

Rose smiled despite the situation, "So he's already Dad is he? Are you calling Barbara and Ian grandma and grandpa yet?"

"I wasn't sure that it would be appropriate," Luke confessed.

"Oh trust me, they won't mind," Rose said quickly before she turned her attention forward at the sound of a loud voice.

They entered a larger room with double doors filled with benches that were padded with dark purple cushions. A pair of Shansheeth stood by the doorway and calmly bowed to them. The room had only a few people in it, most of them in UNIT uniforms. However, Rose's focus on was the attractive woman in her mid-forties who was standing at the far side of the room. A large metal coffin stood a slightly raised dais and a third Shansheeth was trying to calm the woman.

"Why won't you allow us to see him?" the woman demanded in a harsh tone.

Colonel Karim rushed past the group as they and everyone else in the room watched the exchange.

"We were invited because we are his friends," the woman pressed.

"Miss Jovanka," Karim said as she reached the woman. She dropped her voice, but the room was quiet enough that Rose could hear her, "He was hurt. There was a limit to what the Shansheeth could do…" the Colonel trailed off and the woman huffed.

Rose examined her as the woman moved over to one of the benches. She had dark brown hair that was curly and cut short with a little gray. The woman's eyes were brown, but watery at the moment as she turned away from the group and sat down. Barbara and Ian exchanged a look before they sat down on the closest bench. Sarah Jane took Johnny's hand and joined them. Rose smiled at Luke and walked forward a few steps to sit with the woman who had been objecting to the Shansheeth when they walked in. Miss Jovanka turned and looked Rose over before shaking her head.

"You're not UNIT," she said, "But you're awfully young to have traveled with him."

"I'm Rose Tyler," she said in a low voice extending her hand.

"Tegan Jovanka," the woman replied with a nod as she quickly shook Rose's hand. "So did you travel with him?"

"It was… complicated," Rose offered with hesitation.

Tegan actually laughed softly at her words and looked over at the coffin. "Yeah, that happened a lot around him. It was always complicated in one way or another."

"You traveled with him?" Rose guessed, "For how long?" 

"Time is weird in the TARDIS," Tegan said. "But I figure it was a few years." Tegan paused and her expression turned distant. "When I first met him he wore this crazy long scarf, I didn't know him like that very long."

"Long scarf, curly brown hair and completely manic smile," Rose guessed.

"Did you know that Doctor too?" Tegan asked with interest and a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Rose shook her head and pointed over her shoulder at Sarah Jane who was watching them with open interest, "No, but Sarah Jane told me about that version of him. She traveled with him for some time."

Tegan looked over at Sarah Jane who smiled and then stood up. Sarah Jane moved up a few rows so she was sitting right behind them. She extended her hand to Tegan. "Sarah Jane Smith."

"Tegan Jovanka," Tegan said in greeting before her eyes shifted back to Rose. "Rose says that you knew the Doctor when he had the scarf."

"I remember that scarf," Sarah Jane said with a chuckle and a shake of her head. "He wasn't like that when I first met him."

"So what was your first Doctor like?" Tegan asked with a tilt of her head.

"The first Doctor I met had white hair, very curly," Sarah Jane told Tegan with a wistful smile. "He wore smoking jackets and capes, very different from the long coat and scarf he wore after he regenerated."

"The Doctor was a lot younger when he regenerated with me," Tegan said, "He had blonde hair and wore cricket whites."

"Cricket whites?" Sarah Jane asked with a laugh, "Really?!"

"Oh yes," Tegan said with a wide smile. "He enjoyed the sport and was quite good at it too." Tegan paused and looked back towards the coffin, "I just can't believe that he's dead."

"I don't believe it," Sarah Jane said firmly in a quiet voice with a glance over at the Shansheeth. "Something is off here?"

Tegan gave the older woman a searching look, "Why do you say that?"

"I'm a reporter," Sarah Jane said with a slight smile, "I've got pretty good instincts."

A sudden crash of glass behind them caused the whole room to turn. A short older woman in her fifties with shoulder length white blonde hair was gathering up lilies from a shattered vase. Rose blinked as the woman in a pleasant voice apologized to everyone in the room and started talking about the hand blown vase. A young man about Luke's age with curly light brown hair helped the woman to her feet.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," one of the Shansheeth said to the woman.

Rose blinked as the woman turned and thanked the Shansheeth before complimented it on its looks. "Oh I wish I had my glasses," the woman said to the Shansheeth, "You're like a vulture, a great big alien vulture." The woman turned to the young man, "Aren't they wonderful. Now don't be afraid it is just like I taught you."

Sarah Jane was staring at the woman with a strange look as if she was trying to decide something. Tegan had an amused smile on her face and a glance over at Ian and Barbara showed them as having similar reactions to the odd little woman. Sarah Jane slowly stood up as she stared at the woman.

The young man with the woman put his arm around her in a half hug while she said, "You know I've missed all this." She handed the lilies to her grandson, "Can you do something with those for me," he took the flowers, "That's a good boy."

The woman then turned around to find the entire room watching her. "Sorry," she said in a softer tone. 'I'm making an awful lot of noise aren't I?" She paused and smiled, "Though there is this tribe called the Mbaya from the Matto Grosso. I lived with them for about six months in '83."

A smile was slowly spreading over Sarah Jane's face as she listened to the woman who was now speaking directly to her. "They sing all night," the woman continued before Sarah Jane started to laugh. "It is the most astonishing sound I have ever heard."

The woman noticed Sarah Jane's laughter and turned back to her, "Sorry, do I know you?"

Sarah Jane walked over to the woman and sat on the bench in front of her so they were facing each other. "We've never actually met," Sarah Jane said, "But it's Jo Grant isn't it?"

"Wow," Jo said with a pleased gasp, "It's been a long time since I've been called that. Actually it's Jo Jones since I got married."

"Right," Sarah Jane said with a nod, "Just after you left. You went to live in the Amazon."

Jo gasped and pointed at Sarah Jane, "They told me about you! You must be Sarah Jane Smith." Sarah Jane nodded and Jo grinned, "Oh darling!" Jo quickly moved up to the bench at Sarah Jane was sitting on and hugged her tightly. "Oh look at you," Jo said after kissing Sarah Jane on the check, "You are so beautiful!"

Rose blinked at the two of them and tried not to grin as she glanced over at Tegan to find the woman smiling. The young man with Jo quietly sat down next to Luke and looked around at their little group, "Sorry, that's my gran. You get used to her."

"That's my mum," Luke told him, "I'm Luke."

"My name is Santiago," the boy said with a smile.

"Nice to meet you," Barbara said before she stood up. "Please excuse me, I think I need to join that conversation." Tegan nodded in agreement and stood up from her bench. Barbara smiled at the younger woman and held out her hand to shake it, "I'm Barbara," she said.

"Tegan," she said as they walked over to join Sarah Jane and Jo. 

"I'm now worried," Ian said as he watched the four women settle down next to each other and start frantically whispering.

Rose watched them for a moment before looking back at Santiago as she moved to join him and Luke.

"I've never met anyone named Santiago," Luke said.

"It's where I was born," the boy explained. "In a caravan over the hills of the Andes."

Rose grinned as the two boys started talking and looked over at Ian who was speaking quietly with Johnny. Standing up, she walked over to Sarah Jane and sat down by the older woman.

"Jo, this is Rose Tyler," Sarah Jane said happily. "She's another friend of the Doctor's."

"Oh you are gorgeous," Jo said before she hugged Rose and kissed her on the cheek. "I can't believe I'm finally meeting more people who know him."

Rose was about to say something more when the doors were opened again. A woman in her early forties with extremely curly ginger hair walked into the room with a slightly younger woman with long dark brown hair in a simple ponytail. The red haired woman looked around the room and quickly focused on their little group. She walked over quickly and asked in a soft, but high voice, "Any of you travel in the TARDIS?"

It was Jo that answered the question first, "Yes, yes we did. Please sit down."

"Lovely," the woman said as she sat down on the bench behind Jo, "I'm Melanie Bush, but just call me Mel."

"I'm Dorothy McShane," the brunette said with a slight smirk as she sat down next to Mel. Her eyes went up to the coffin, "But I go by Ace."

"Did you two travel together?" Tegan asked as she glanced between the two.

"No," Mel said with a shake of her head. "I left right after meeting Ace. I knew she'd keep the Doctor out of trouble."

"No one can keep him out of trouble," Ace and Rose both said at the same time. They blinked at each other while the others chuckled.

Rose paused and then asked, "How old were you?" 

"Seventeen," Ace said with a shrug. "I had been swept up in a time storm on Earth and dumped on a far off planet where he found me." Ace glanced at Rose, "You can't be much older than that yourself."

"I'm a few days away from nineteen," Rose said. "I haven't traveled with him. We're just good friends who cross each other's paths on Earth a lot."

"An amazing amount is more like it," Sarah Jane said with a shake of her head. "Rose knows at least two versions of the Doctor." 

"Plus I've met his original life," Rose reminded her with a grin before she shrugged, "It's temporally complicated."

"I know about that," Mel said with a grin. "I met him before he had met me, but then he had to go into my past to meet me for the first time in his next form. Temporally complicated seems to happen around him."

"So which Doctor did you travel with?" Sarah Jane asked with curiosity.

"I traveled with two versions," Mel said with a soft smile. "He regenerated not long after I started traveling with him." Mel shook her head, "The first version I traveled with was…. well, he was odd and a bit colorblind." At the odd looks, Mel laughed, "Let's just say that his fashion sense was horrible. He had curly hair and was very… boisterous."

"I traveled with his next incarnation," Ace said picking things up, "He had a Scottish accent and carried an umbrella all the time." Ace paused, "I'm not really sure to describe him; he was kind when he wanted to, but could be very manipulative when he needed to be." Rose noticed Mel squeeze Ace's hand. "Anyway, when I returned to Earth I looked up Mel," Ace finished with a shrug.

"I hadn't gotten back to Earth long before her," Mel said with a giggle. "But it was nice to have someone I could pick up the phone and talk to."

"I can imagine," Tegan said wistfully. "The other people I traveled with weren't from Earth. I don't know what happened to them."

Mel then looked around the room, "I thought there were a few more people," she observed with a frown. "There was that older couple in our room plus a woman named Victoria."

"I'm sure she'll be down," Ace said. "She seemed very tired and they are older."

"You might be surprise," Barbara said with a secretive smile and a wink at Rose.

"By what?" Ace asked with a curious look.

"My husband and I are in our seventies," Barbara said as she pointed over to Ian, "That's our son Johnny."

"Seriously?" Mel asked as she looked over Barbara, "You only look like you're maybe in your fifties."

"We were exposed to mixed temporal technology," Barbara explained. "It slowed our cellular aging."

"Now that sounds useful," Jo said. "Even at 56 I'm feeling it every time I chain myself up or get arrested." Jo laughed at the looks she received. "I travel the world and protest," Jo explained with a smile. "My whole family does."

"So you're still married?" Sarah Jane asked.

"Oh yes," Jo replied with a smile, "He is picketing an oil rig and I've got seven children." Jo pointed over to Santiago, "And Santiago is one of twelve grandchildren." Jo looked around at the others, "How about all of you?" 

"Well," Barbara said, "Johnny over there is my and Ian's son." Barbara smirked, "And he is actually engaged to Sarah Jane."

Sarah Jane flushed slightly at the congratulations of the others and pointed over at Luke, "And that's my son Luke."

"Soon to be my grandchild," Barbara added.

"Oh how exciting," Mel said with a wide grin, "That's fabulous!"

"How about you?" Barbara asked Mel.

"Oh I've never married," Mel said. "I actually live in California now, I'm a computer programmer so I moved out there a few years back."

"Playing the field then," Jo said with a grin, "Good on you girl."

"I've got two adoptive children," Tegan said when the giggling stopped. "I'm divorced, but I still wanted to be a Mum so it just seemed right. A friend is looking after them right now, they're five and eight."

"That's lovely," Sarah Jane said with a nod, "Luke is adopted too."

"Not married, no kids," Ace said with a shrug.

"Ace is being modest," Mel said with a shake of her head, "She runs A Charitable Earth."

"That foundation in New York City?" Sarah Jane asked with wide eyes. "They've raised billions for all kinds of causes."

"I've even gotten money from them," Jo added. "Good for you!"

Ace blushed slightly, but smiled and looked over at Rose. "What about you?" 

"I'm a student at Cambridge," Rose said. "That's actually how I met Ian and Barbara, they both teach there."

"How did you find out about the Doctor?" Tegan asked.

"Rose met him when she was eleven," Barbara said.

"And she gets into enough trouble that she sees him from time to time," Sarah Jane added. "He calls her Jeopardy Friendly."

"Not like that," Rose protested, "it isn't a nickname."

"It should be," Barbara said with a shake of her head.

"Sounds like you have some stories," Ace said with a grin. "The Professor, that's what I always called him, used to say something similar about me."

"You carried explosives around in a backpack," Mel said with a snort, "Of course you attracted trouble."

The double doors swung open again and three older people walked into the room. The first was a tall man with white slightly messy hair and wrinkled features. On his arm was a woman about a little younger with brown hair with grey spread throughout that hung to her shoulders. She looked very distraught, but was remaining in control of herself. Another woman walked with them, she had elegant features with only a few wrinkles and her grey hair was piled in a bun on the top of her head. They glanced around the room and the first woman stifled a sob at the coffin before the man helped her to a bench.

"Vicky," the second woman said, "its okay."

"If he can regenerate then why didn't he?" the younger woman asked. "You said that he could regenerate, Ben." 

"I don't know," the man, Ben replied. "This is probably just a mistake."

"This doesn't look good," Mel observed quietly.

"They're in the same room as us," Ace explained. "They haven't said much. The married couple are named Ben and Polly and they live in India. The other woman we don't know much about."

"Sounds like they knew him too," Rose said as she watched the woman being comforted by her two companions.

"Poor thing," Jo said in a soft and sad tone before she looked forwards towards the coffin. "It's funny, but I have this notion that if… if the Doctor died one day even if he was as far away as Metebelis III that I'd feel it." Jo paused sadly, "You know in my heart."

"That's exactly what I thought," Sarah Jane confessed. "But I didn't feel a thing."

Rose swallowed and glanced around at the Shansheeth before she softly whispered, "He isn't dead. The Shansheeth need us together for something and they have the TARDIS so they faked his death with Colonel Karim's held" Seeing that she had all of their attention, Rose quietly asked, "Does anyone know what the Rassilon Imprimatur is?" 

AN 2: Yes I have watched The Five Doctors and I know that Sarah Jane and Tegan met in that episode, but in School Reunion Sarah Jane seemed to have no memory of the event as she thought the Doctor had died. Plus they never tried to track each other down despite canon Sarah Jane admitting that she was lonely and had no one to talk to. Plus that event is never mentioned again by any of the humans were present: unlike the episode The Three Doctors. My theory to explain these inconsistencies is that the events of that time crossing episode were not remembered by the human companions.


	42. Death of the Doctor: Funeral Jeopardy

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Forty-Two: Funeral Jeopardy

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: I'm looking for suggestions for Rose's birthday trip with the Tenth Doctor. I'm open to suggestions, but I'm looking for a historical event or place for him to take her. This chapter is where I start to really make changes to the episode to make it fit a little better into established canon so bear with me and forget all expectations if you have seen the episode.

The companions had finally slipped out of the funeral room and headed down the hall to the room Rose had been assigned to with Sarah Jane's family. After a short debate, they had agreed to send Jo over to fetch the other three former companions. Rose figured that the woman's pure sweet energy would be irresistible. The room was cramped as everyone gathered around and Sarah Jane fixed a stern look on Rose.

Rose for her part ignored Sarah Jane and discreetly pulled her sonic pen out of her hair and turned up the frequency. The camera in the corner flickered off and Rose nodded in satisfaction.

"Sonic pen," Rose said with a grin to the startled companions gathered.

"He makes sonic pens now?" Jo asked with wide eyes.

"Actually he said that he took this off of an alien nanny," Rose said with a shrug as she slipped the pen back into her hair. "I never got the full story there."

"Never mind that," Victoria said. "What is this about the Doctor not being dead?" 

Rose paused and took a breath while she collected her thoughts. Being the center of attention of so many people who knew the Doctor was more than a little bit uncomfortable. "The Doctor isn't dead," Rose said settling on trying to keep things simple. "Because of my out of temporal synch friendship with him I am sometimes aware of things in the wrong order."

"Then what is going on?" Tegan asked with a slight angry tone in her voice.

"The Shansheeth have faked the Doctor's death in order to gather all of us here," Rose explained with a quick look back at the camera and then towards the door. "They have the TARDIS, but need something called the Rassilon Imprimatur to control her." Rose paused and looked at all the companions before she said, "Somehow they can recreate it from people who have traveled with the Doctor."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Ian demanded in a low voice.

"I figured Karim was tapping phone calls," Rose explained with a shrug, "just to see if we bought it or not. Plus I could warn you not to come, but I knew that the Doctor traveled with more humans than just people I knew, I couldn't warn them so coming was the best option."

"How do you know all this?" Polly asked curiously.

"Never mind that," Tegan inserted quickly. "We need to get out of here."

"We can't leave the TARDIS here," Sarah Jane argued. "Even if they can't control it, that ship still contains far too much technology to just hand over."

The door suddenly started to open, silencing everyone in the room just before Karim entered with two soldiers.

"Colonel Karim," Barbara greeted. "Is something wrong?"

"I apologize for the intrusion," the Colonel said formerly. "We lost the security feed in this room and I wanted to make sure that everything was alright."

"Security feed?" Sarah Jane asked innocently before turning around to look over her shoulder towards the camera. "Oh I see."

"We didn't notice a camera," Polly said with a tilt of her head. "Strange how you're having the guest rooms monitored though."

"I'm afraid it is the procedure in all military bases," the Colonel said. "But I assure you that there are no cameras in the baths so please don't be concerned about that." The Colonel looked over the group with interest. "Are you sure everything is alright?"

"We were talking about him," Victoria said softly. "Trading stories and memories."

"Of course," Karim replied with a nod. "Well dinner is being served for you down the hall so if you will all please join me."

Everyone looked like they wanted to argue, but Ben took Polly's hand and they left the room first. Victoria followed them a moment later with Jo eagerly questioning her about her own time with the Doctor. The rest of the room cleared out, but Rose hung back and watched Colonel Karim who was looking up at the camera.

The Colonel looked back at Rose after a moment and said, "If you'll just give us a moment to fix the camera then we will be out of your way."

One of the soldiers walked past them and climbed up on a chair to readjust the camera. Rose watched as the light came back on and quietly cursed herself for not doing any real damage. Nodding in satisfaction, Karim turned back to Rose as she pulled out her phone.

"I'm afraid Miss Tyler that you won't get a signal inside the base," Karim said patiently. "The walls are too heavy and designed to prevent outside signals from entering."

"Oh," Rose said as she slipped her phone back into her pocket. "I just wanted to call my friends and say everything was going okay. They were pretty worried about me."

"There is a landline down the corridor that you may use to phone outside the base," the colonel told her.

"Thank you," Rose said with a forced smile and nod. "I'll be at dinner in just a few minutes."

The Colonel nodded to Rose before she turned on her heel and left the room, followed by the soldiers. Rose considered her options for a moment before she followed Karim out into the corridor. One of the soldiers stopped by the phone and Rose forced herself not to frown. Giving the man a smile, Rose picked up the phone and dialed Sharon's mobile number.

"Hello?" Sharon answered a moment later.

"Hi Sharon, its Rose," she said pleasantly. "Sorry for calling from a weird number. The walls of the base block normal mobile signals," Rose said. "All part of their security, that and the cameras," Rose added, hoping that Sharon would catch her message. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm okay and things are going well." Rose paused and glanced over at the soldier who was clearly listening. "There are a lot of former companions here," Rose said into the phone. "It's a shame that it took a funeral for the Doctor for all of us to meet. Sadly, the General and Benton aren't due here until the morning."

"I see," Sharon said on the other end, picking up on Rose's careful word choices.

"Anyway I just wanted to check in and tell you not to worry," Rose said. "Enjoy the Star Trek marathon without me. Bit cruel of you since you know I'm such a Spock fan."

"I'm sure you'll manage," Sharon replied carefully. "We'll call you if we can."

"Bye then," Rose said. "Lots of love to you both."

She hung up the phone, satisfied that Sharon had understood her signal to use Spock to check the security system and call the General. Rose gave the soldier who was watching a cheeky smile before she strolled into the dining hall. Her eyes found Colonel Karim on the far side of the room and she sat down next to Polly.

"So Polly," Rose asked pleasantly, "tell us more about how you met the Doctor."

Sharon sighed as the call ended and turned to Shireen who was nibbling at her lip in worry, having heard the call on speaker phone. They were in Sarah Jane's attic, a pair of sleeping bags on the floor and an open pizza box on the table. Clyde and Rani were very impatiently sitting on the sofa and watching the two older girls.

"Sounds bad," Clyde said to Rani, "and I don't even understand everything that's going on."

The young girl of Indian descent shook her head, "Me neither."

"I thought Rose was very clear," Sharon said to the two teens before she turned to face Mister Spock. "Spock I need you to quietly hack into the security system of UNIT's Mount Snowden Base."

"Also track down the home phone number for General Lethbridge-Stewart," Shireen added. "Sounds like it's time to call in the rest of UNIT."

"Why didn't Rose just call him earlier?" Rani asked.

"Rose didn't know how deep this conspiracy went," Shireen explained calmly. "The last time a UNIT colonel was helping aliens with designs of power it was a crisis through the whole of UNIT. It made her a touch paranoid about military organizations and their traitors."

"Plus she figured Karim would be keeping tabs on everyone," Sharon added with a shrug.

"Makes sense I suppose," Clyde replied with a shrug, "but Sarah Jane and Luke will be okay won't they."

"Mistress and young Master are very capable," K-9 replied from next to Sarah Jane's desk.

"I notice that you didn't ask about Rose," Shireen observed with a curious tilt of her head.

"Rose has the sonic pen, her superphone and a magic sword," Clyde said with a grin. "She'll be fine."

"Never let Rose hear you refer to her sword as a magic sword," Sharon replied with a chuckle. "You'll get an earful about advanced unknown technology and superstition."

"Can we focus," Shireen interrupted. "From the phone call I got: cameras everywhere so use Mister Spock, my superphone works and call the general."

"Same," Sharon said with a nod.

"Sharon, Shireen," Mister Spock interrupted, "I have accessed the security system of Mount Snowden Base. I am running a search of the cameras to find Rose, Sarah Jane and Luke."

"You can do that?" Clyde asked amazed. "Find people through the cameras?"

"I have advanced recognition capabilities," the Xylok replied in an even tone. "Here is General Lethbridge-Stewart's private emergency and highly classified phone line," the Xylok said after another moment before a number appeared on screen. "I have no indication that Colonel Karim would have any access to this number as it is linked to the Geneva headquarters of UNIT."

Sharon and Shireen both grinned and said at the same time, "That will do."

"That was a bit scary," Rani observed with a chuckle and a raised eyebrow.

"Clearly dealing with aliens makes you crazy," Clyde said with a shake of his head.

"Then why are you still here?" Rani asked with a smirk.

"There are worse things than being crazy," Clyde replied with a grin.

"Hush," Sharon said to the teens before she turned back to Mister Spock. "Have you located Rose?" 

The screen changed to bring up a camera image of Rose sitting at a dining table in a canteen with the Smiths, Chestertons and other people they didn't know.

"Looks calm for now," Shireen observed.

"Yeah," Sharon agreed, "But we should call the General. It takes time to get to Wales from London."

"Agreed," Shireen said with a nod. "Of course neither of us has ever met the man…."

"No time like the present," Sharon replied with a grin. "Mister Spock, keep an eye on Rose in the cameras, but make sure UNIT doesn't detect you."

"I have done this before," the Xylok said almost sounding irritated.

"Mind young Mistress Sharon," K-9 told the Xylok as he rolled forward next to Sharon.

"Oh don't start," Rani said. "There's work to do and the others might be in danger."

"Call the General," Shireen instructed.

A moment later the stern face of General Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart appeared onscreen. He blinked in surprise at the scene that appeared in front of him instead of the expected Geneva council room.

"Miss Bell, Miss Allen," the General greeted slowly. "I trust you have an excellent reason for this call."

"Colonel Karim can't access this line right?" Sharon questioned, ignoring the General's stern expression.

"Colonel Karim does not have the security clearance to access this line, and neither do the two of you."

"I don't mean legally General," Sharon replied as she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Could she be listening in?"

The General's expression shifted as he recognized that something more was happening. "No," the General replied. "Mount Snowden Base is not equipped for such a course of action." The General paused before he said, "Be frank and tell me what is happening, I will question your ability to access this line later."

"Yes sir," Shireen replied with a nod, "as you know the Shansheeth supposedly brought the Doctor's body back to Earth, but Rose was given information by a time…traveler that warned her that it was a trap. As she assumed that Karim would be tracing all calls between those notified of the Doctor's supposed death she told us to sound the alarm when Rose had identified the other targets of this trap." Shireen glanced at Sharon before she added, "We just got a coded call from Rose telling us to access the security system."

The General's expression looked torn between concern, impassive interest and amusement all at once. "And what was the situation?" 

"Everything looks fine," Shireen replied slowly, "but Rose is really really sure about this." 

"Girls-," the General started to say.

"I'm afraid that the dining hall appears to being filled with gas," Mister Spock said suddenly.

"What?! Mister Spock bring UNIT cameras back to main view," Shireen ordered turning her attention away from the General.

Rose forced herself to her feet as a thick fog rolled into the dining hall from the air vents. Her limbs felt heavy and she turned to see Karim standing at the side of the room, holding a small ventilator over her mouth. Turning back to the others, Rose's eyes widened in alarm as she saw the Jacksons, Ben and Polly, both drop against the table in faints. Sarah Jane and the Chestertons were managing to get to their feet, but coughing. Rose coughed as her lungs tried to expel the gas. The far door opened and the three Shansheeth calmly entered the room as Karim and her men fled it.

The head Shansheeth stepped forward. "I apologize for this harsh treatment," he said calmly, "but it is for a great purpose and your sacrifices will be remembered."

Rose moved her arm to summon her sword, but failed to manage the feat before her vision became to tunnel. Grabbing the edge of the table, Rose carefully guided herself to the ground just before she lost consciousness.

The sound of something ringing loudly nearby was the first thing Rose became aware of as she started to feel her body again. She shifted slightly and realized that she must have turned on the alarm on her phone, but she wasn't sure why.

"How is her phone working in here?" a strange male voice asked from nearby.

The voice snapped Rose back to consciousness as she panicked at a stranger being in her room. Her eyes opened and she took in the grey celling above her. Rolling over, Rose nearly gasped at the sight of a barred door in front of her. She was on a simple cot in a tiny holding cell and two soldiers were sitting at a table where her phone was ringing.

"Probably just an alarm," the second soldier said, "just turn the thing off."

Rose sat up slowly, trying not to make any noise and lifted her hand to her hair. Her fingers brush her sonic pen and Rose could have jumped in relief.

"The colonel won't be happy that we couldn't get the bracelet away from her," the first soldier said as he leaned back in his chair.

"Not our fault, her file said that it would return to her when someone tried to take it."

"I suppose," the second man said with a shrug.

Rose stood up and coughed loudly, attracting the attention of the soldiers. Both men jumped to their feet in surprise as Rose staggered forward to the bars.

"What is going on?" Rose demanded around another cough.

"Just go back to sleep Tyler," one of the soldiers said. He was a younger man and looked a little uncomfortable.

"I've been drugged!" Rose hissed. "I don't exactly feel like just lying back down and going to sleep like nothing is wrong."

"The Shansheeth are doing a good thing," the first soldier said in a calm voice. He was tall and older with brown hair with bits of grey. "The Doctor is gone, but things still need fixing. They just need to access the TARDIS and once they have they'll be able to help the whole universe."

"Then why lock me up?" Rose demanded.

"Colonel's orders," the soldier said. "This is too important to have you trying to stop and you're pretty good at stopping things you don't like." He smiled slightly. "But you're on the wrong side this time."

"Why?" Rose questioned with a frown.

"The Shansheeth are going to use the TARDIS to stop all the horrible things in history," the second soldier who was much younger said in an excited tone. "A world where the terrible world wars never occurred, no famine, no diseases and no deaths. It will be an end to suffering."

Rose stared at them before she slowly asked, "And what about the paradox that will cause?"

"Paradox?" the first soldier asked with a frown.

"Yeah," Rose said with a nod, "time is fragile and if you change something to an event that didn't originally happen because you want to avert the outcome then you cause a paradox." They both blinked at her in confusion, causing Rose to sigh. "Have you ever seen Back to the Future?"

"I love that movie," the second soldier said with a smile.

"Right so Marty goes back in time and changes stuff, so he fades away until he puts history back on course," Rose said. "If you change history to avert a war, you erase yourself with your knowledge of that war."

"Respectfully Tyler," the first soldier said, "the Shansheeth are an ancient alien race and they know what they are doing."

"The TARDIS can only be flown by a Time Lord for a reason," Rose hissed, but neither man reacted. "Where are the others?" Rose asked with sigh. "With the Shansheeth?"

"Most of them," the second soldier agreed with a nod, "but the Smith boy and the Jones boy are in the cells in the next room."

"So I get two guards all to myself," Rose muttered, "lucky me."

The older soldier was about to answer with a red light flashed overhead, causing both soldiers to look up. The first took out his pistol and headed for the door.

"What's that?" Rose asked the remaining soldier who also took out his weapon.

"An alarm," the younger man replied, "probably a malfunction." He followed the first soldier, leaving Rose alone in the room. She paused and listened to the alarm for a moment before she reached up to pull her sonic pen from her hair. Moving quickly, Rose unlocked the door and grabbed her phone from the table. She crept up to the door and waited. A moment later the first soldier walked back into the room, his gun back in its holster.

"That damn system is acting up again!" he complained just before Rose punched him hard in the stomach, knocking the air out of him.

As the first man went down the second gaped at her for a moment too long, unable to decide if he should pull his weapon or not. Rose didn't hesitate and delivered a solid roundhouse punch to his head. He hit the ground knees first and Rose flinched at the heavy impact before she turned back to the first man who was still trying to catch his breath. Carefully Rose put her arm around his neck and squeezed.

"Don't worry," Rose said gently, "I'm just knocking you out. I don't want to hurt you."

His body went limp a moment later and Rose carefully checked both men's pulses and heads just to be sure. She glanced back at the door and shut it quietly. Rose turned her phone back on and quickly dialed Sharon's number.

"Hi Rose," Sharon said. "Don't worry. Mister Spock is following you in the security system and has that room on a loop. No one saw what just happened."

"Good," Rose said with a wide grin. "In that case, give me a moment to take care of these two." She set the phone down on the table for a moment and proceeded to strip both men of their guns and knives. She dragged each man into one of the two cells in the room and used her sonic pen to lock them up before dumping the weapons into the wastebasket.

Picking up her phone, Rose started talking again, "Okay, so what do you know?" 

"The Shansheeth and Karim drugged all of you about twenty minutes ago. They are three floors down and are setting up some kind of machine. All the companions are tied onto these sort of operating tables. They all look okay, but Sarah Jane and two others are currently awake."

"And the General?" Rose questioned.

"He's on his way," Sharon promised. "Mister Spock is trying to gain control of the main systems, but he's having some problems. So far he can only control the cameras and few of the basic alarm systems, but if you need another distraction he can set the alarms off again."

"Can he keep control of security?" Rose questioned.

"He says yes," Sharon replied over the phone. "Luke and the other boy are next door to your right in the hall, there is only one guard. They are both awake."

"Okay, use footage loops if you can to keep me off their cameras."

"That won't fool them for long," Sharon said.

"No, but hopefully it will fool them long enough. I'll get Luke and call you back. Tell Spock I'll need anything he can tell me about where the power for the machine is coming from."

"Will do," Sharon said. "Be careful."

"I've got my phone, pen and sword," Rose said as she looked out into the hallway, "and back up is coming. I'll survive."

"The General said he'd be at least an hour and a half," Sharon said, "so I mean it, be careful."

"Okay, do me a favor and set off the alarm again."

Rose snapped the phone shut and waited at the doorway as the hallway's alarm started going off again. A soldier stepped out of the other room and groaned, "Damn it not again!" Rose leaned back into her cell room as the soldier shouted, "Hey Franklin, Roberts where are you?"

Rose slipped back from the door as the footsteps came closer. Forcing herself to breathe quietly Rose waited just around the corner of the entry as the man came in. The moment he stepped into her view, Rose brought her knee up into his lower stomach and knocked the gun from his hand. Shoving back, the man knocked Rose against the wall and then tried to pull out his secondary weapons from his boot. Rose leapt onto his back and tightened her arms around his neck. He tried to shake her off, but Rose held on tightly and used a few knee jabs into his sides to slow him down. Finally, the man dropped to his knees and fainted. Rose sighed as she let go of his neck. She repeated the process of checking his pulse, stripping his weapons and locked him into the cell with the younger soldier.

"I hope things get easier," Rose muttered as she checked the hallway for soldiers and headed into the room with the boys.

Luke was pacing nervously in the first cell while Santiago asked questions about aliens and what the Shansheeth might be trying to do when Rose walked into the room.

"Rose!" Luke exclaimed softly in relief. "There's a guard."

"Locked up with two other ones in the next room," Rose said with a smile as she brandished her sonic pen at the door. "Now, the Shansheeth have the others and some kind of machine. Probably whatever they are going to use to duplicate that Rassilon Imprimatur." Rose pulled out her phone. "Mister Spock is in the security system and can keep us hidden for a while, but we need to find our way down to that machine."

Rose hit Shireen's speed dial and waited less than a second before the phone was picked up, "Shireen I'm going to give the phone to Luke. Have Mister Spock guide us down towards the others. If he finds something let us know. I'd like to avoid as many people as possible if you please, the body count is already at three for the day." Rose handed the phone to Luke who nodded his understanding.

"Do you do this kind of thing often?" Santiago asked with a huge grin on his face as he picked up his and Luke's phones from the table in the holding room.

Rose couldn't help but smile a little as she said, "You'd be surprised." Rose paused. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you." 

The teenage boy just grinned, "My family is always getting arrested. I'm loving this!"

"Yeah, you're related to a companion," Rose said with a shake of her head before she turned to Luke. "Which way first?"

Using Mister Spock through the phone, they carefully navigated their way around three patrols and five on duty guards to the area where the Shansheeth were set up. Rose carefully and quietly opened a ventilation shaft and looked down the tunnel before she turned back to Luke.

"Are you sure we go this way?"

"Mister Spock says that this air shaft will let us bypass the guards and get back into the main funeral area where the others are." Luke paused, "He says that they are about to start up the machine. The Shansheeth keep saying that it will drain them," Luke had a panicked look on his face so Rose grabbed the boy's shoulders.

"Luke, take a breath and remember rule one."

"Don't panic," Luke said with a nod.

"Right, we don't panic," Rose said firmly. "We solve the problems, stop the bad guys and save the world. That's what we do." Rose turned back to the shaft and sighed, "At least I didn't wear a skirt." She climbed into the shaft and tried to move quietly through the metal tunnel, but didn't manage as the light metal warped under her each movement that she made. All she could hope was that the sounds outside would help drown them out.

They reached a small room off of the main funeral room and Rose carefully retrieved her sonic pen to open the grate. She climbed out with a sigh of relief and glanced towards the door. It was ajar to allow several large cables and pipes through into the main room. A large machine with large coils and several tubes of liquid dominated the space. Rose frowned at the strange machine and glanced towards the door as she heard one of the Shansheeth speaking.

"Soon not even the Doctor will be able to stop the crusade of the Shansheeth."

Rose turned back to Luke and whispered in his ear, "Take pictures and send to Shireen. See if Mister Spock or K-9 knows how to shut this thing down safely."

Luke nodded and started clicking photos of the machine while Rose crept forward to the door. Carefully, she looked out into the main room. The TARDIS was standing in the midst of the piping and cables that were spread across the floor. Each of the companions and Johnny were strapped onto something like an operating table with strange devices on their heads. All of them seemed to be awake, but others were far more verbal.

"Just what is this crusade!?" Sarah Jane demanded as she struggled against her binding.

"We have seen so much death," the Shansheeth with green crystals on its head declared passionately. "The Shansheeth have presided over infinite funerals. We see the pain and the suffering again and again and again. But with the TARDIS we can stop this! We can intervene to prevent the loss of life on the universal scale!"

"You're going to stop death?" Jo gasped.

"It is a noble cause," the Shansheeth said proudly.

"You'll change the whole of history," Barbara insisted. "You'll cause a paradox large enough to destroy the universe."

"We will control time," the Shansheeth declared. "With you and the TARDIS, we can manage it and stop the endless suffering."

"What is this machine?" Victoria asked softly as Karim tightened the odd headpiece on her head.

"This is the Collector," the Shansheeth with blue crystals decorating its head said proudly. "Each of you has traveled in the TARDIS and in doing so was protected from the dangers of time travel by the Rassilon Imprimatur, this machine will take the fragments of the Imprimatur carried in each of you to grant us that protection so that we might fulfill our destiny!"

"Then why Johnny?" Barbara asked with a frightened look towards her son, "He's never traveled in the TARDIS!" 

"No, but he inherited," the Shansheeth proclaimed. "He inherited from two time travelers. Every piece is precious."

"But then where is Rose?" Sarah Jane asked in confusion before snapping her mouth shut.

"Tyler has traveled in the TARDIS?" Karim asked in confusion and Sarah Jane smirked.

"Of course she has or didn't you read that in her file?"

"She has never left Earth," Karim insisted as she glared at Sarah Jane.

"You can't even handle checking everyone out and you think you're ready for time travel," Tegan mocked from across the room. "That's amazing."

Karim growled at them and turned to one of the soldiers, "Go and get Tyler, we'll add her to the Collector." Two soldiers nodded to Karim and rushed out the door while another one moved another one of the odd tables into the circle close to the Shansheeth.

Rose glanced back at the boys and saw Luke looking back at her. Their escape would be found out any minute. Rose backed away from the door and rejoined the boys.

"Any luck?" she whispered.

Luke nodded and pointed to a small vial of glowing liquid, no bigger than Rose's index finger. "K-9 says this is the power cell. If they haven't started yet then we can safely remove it."

Rose looked over her shoulder at the door, "Okay, I want you two to grab the vial and get out of here through the air vent. Then find someplace to hide. Use my phone and Mister Spock to escape detection. The General should be here soon." She handed her sonic pen to Luke, "K-9 can instruct you on how to seal a door with this."

"What about you?" Santiago asked.

"They're already going to be looking for me and with luck they'll assume that I have the power source and not worry about you."

The two boys looked like they wanted to argue, but Luke slowly nodded. "Be careful."

"I promise," Rose said and she summoned her sword. She smirked when Santiago gaped at it. "This girl has a few tricks up her sleeve."

Rose was about to tell them to grab the vial when an odd electrical sound began to originate from the main room.

"What is this?" one of the Shansheeth shouted.

Rose stepped to the side to look back out into the main room. Next to the TARDIS a small energy storm seemed to taking the shape of a person. Gaping at the odd thing forming, Rose gathered her wits enough to turn back to the boys and nod. Santiago grabbed the vial from the machine and shoved it into his pocket before they both dove back into the air vent.

Rose turned back to the strange event in the main room just in time to see the energy fade and a figure appear. The green-eyed Doctor with the bow tie now stood in the center of the room with a very surprised look on his face.

"Ah, not quite the landing I was looking for," the Doctor said with a slightly grimace as he took in the Shansheeth staring at him and the UNIT soldiers in the room with Karim. He dramatically turned back to the Shansheeth. "Claw Shansheeth of the Fifteenth Funeral Fleet, I've been looking for you! Have you been telling people that I'm dead?"

"I apologize," the Shansheeth with the blue crystals said, "the death notice was released a little too soon. Though I can rectify that immediately."

Rose gasped as a beam of light shot forth from the Shansheeth's hand and into the Doctor. He gasped in pain and the companions around the room started shouting and yelling at the Doctor and the Shansheeth. The main door burst open and one of the soldiers rushed in and shouted, "Tyler has escaped!" 

Rose allowed her sword to resume its normal bracelet form and jumped forward into the room. She shoved the empty operating table that had been moved for her forward and into the Shansheeth who was focusing the energy weapon on the Doctor. The Shansheeth fell backwards into the others and the energy stopped. Rose vaguely heard Karim shouting something as the machine cables sparked around the room from the energy surge. Reaching down as the Doctor climbed to his feet, Rose grabbed his hand.

Her brown eyes met his green ones and Rose could see him grin as she whispered, "Run!"


	43. Death of the Doctor: Plans Revised

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Forty-Three: Plans Revised

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: I am so sorry this took so long, I had a hellish time trying to figure out the interaction between Eleven and Rose since they're both different than in canon. When I previously wrote them together the situation was very different with Rose's age while now she has admitted that she is in love with the Doctor. I wrote a huge portion of the chapter only to realize that I had written them together all wrong so a lot got scrapped. I feel a lot better about this version and I hope you enjoy it.

Rose gasped as a beam of light shot forth from the Shansheeth's hand and into the Doctor. He gasped in pain and the companions around the room started shouting and yelling at the Doctor and the Shansheeth. The main door burst open and one of the soldiers rushed in and shouted, "Tyler has escaped!"

Rose allowed her sword to resume its normal bracelet form and jumped forward into the room She shoved the empty operating table that had been moved for her forward and into the Shansheeth who was focusing the energy weapon on the Doctor. The Shansheeth fell backwards into the others and the energy stopped. Rose vaguely heard Karim shouting something as the machine cables sparked around the room from the energy surge. Reaching down as the Doctor climbed to his feet, Rose grabbed his hand.

Her brown eyes met his green ones and Rose could see him grin as she whispered, "Run!"

The chaos held out just long enough for Rose and the Doctor to get through the door and into the main corridor. Behind them, Rose could hear Karim ordering the men she still had into the room after them. Rose pulled the Doctor into one of the guest rooms in the corridor and released his hand so she could grab the door and pull it closed.

"Sonic screwdriver!" Rose gasped as she leaned against the door.

"Where's your pen?" the Doctor asked in confusion.

"I gave it to Luke and Santiago so they could hide," Rose hissed. "Now sonic the door!"

"It's in the TARDIS," the Doctor said sheepishly.

Rose's eyes were wide as she heard the soldiers running down the hall. "Bloody hell!"

"Language darling," the Doctor said with an amused smile. "But I happen to have a way out." Without warning, the Doctor wrapped an arm around Rose's waist and pulled her against him. Rose was about to question it when the Doctor pulled up his sleeve, revealing a strange device held to his wrist by a leather strap. "Hold on," the Doctor said gleefully just before he pressed a button.

Rose saw the door burst open and a UNIT soldier jump in just before she was surrounded by blue energy. Her lungs seemed to freeze for a moment before a new room around her rematerialized and she gasped in a breath of air. Rose's legs shook under her and the Doctor's grip on her waist and allowing her to lean on him were the only things keeping her upright.

"Deep breath," the Doctor said gently. "First trip through the vortex without a capsule is usually disorienting."

Rose forced herself to take another breath and closed her eyes for a moment while her body regained its balance. When she opened her eyes, Rose noted that they were in a different room. This room was larger with pipes and tanks around them. The Doctor was glancing around with mild interest while he still held her gently with one arm.

"I'm alright now," Rose said. "What was that?"

"Vortex manipulator," the Doctor said as he eased his hold on Rose's waist and held up the device. "Borrowed it from a friend of ours. It is how I got here without the TARDIS. I was hoping to arrive before the Shansheeth got started."

"No such luck," Rose said with a shake of her head. "The only good news I have is that the General has been alerted and is on his way here and that the boys have the machine's power source." Rose paused, "Bad news is that the Shansheeth have a lot of hostages and the help of the local UNIT forces."

"Yes," the Doctor said, his youthful face darkening for a moment before he seemed to shrug it off. "So you handed over your sonic pen while in the middle of a dangerous situation with hostile aliens?" the Doctor inquired with a tilt of his head and a smirk. "Strange strategy."

Rose shrugged and shook her head, "Barbara would kill me if I let anything happen to Luke on my watch. Then Sarah Jane would find a way to bring me back and kill me again."

"Scared of Barbara and Sarah," the Doctor teased, "Really?"

"Oh don't pretend that you're not," Rose replied with a smirk. "They put up with you after all, that's not a task for the faint hearted."

The Doctor gaped at her for a moment while Rose simply raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. They stared at each other for a moment before they both started laughing. Rose stared at him as her giggles became deeper and more painful. Holding back a sob, Rose launched herself into the Doctor's arms in a fierce hug. The Doctor held her gently and ran a hand down her back. "I'm alright," he said gently. "I'm alright. It was just a trick."

"I know," Rose said into his shoulder, "I just… Eve's letter was late."

The Doctor didn't respond to her statement. Instead he gently held her and pressed a kiss to her temple. "I'm alright," the Doctor repeated. "We're alright, Rose."

Taking in a long deep breath, Rose shifted her weight away from the Doctor so she could meet his eyes. Rose studied this new Doctor carefully and he calmly allowed her to do so. He looked as Rose remembered from her old classroom and his rescue of her in the TARDIS. This Doctor was younger in appearance than his other forms, but his eyes betrayed his real age. Strangely, that familiar echo in his eyes calmed Rose. Regardless of whatever else changed in her Doctor that was always there even from his first body such a long time ago. Rose felt a smile spread across her face and it was answered by a side smile from the Doctor.

Grabbing the lapels of his tweed jacket, Rose pulled the Doctor down to her and kissed him hard. The Doctor leaned into her kiss and pulled her closer, but allowed Rose control of the moment. He raised his right hand to her neck and gently rubbed circles with his thumb in a soothing gesture. Rose sighed into the kiss as she relaxed against the Doctor. Rose's initial fear and desperation was replaced with relief and love in the kiss before the Doctor gently pulled back.

"Hi," Rose greeted with a slight flush, still leaning against the Doctor. "Sorry about that."

The Doctor shook his head slightly at her apology and leaned down to brush a soft kiss against her lips. "I understand," he said very softly.

There was another silent moment before Rose stepped back and straightened up. She glanced around the room, checking for any signs of UNIT soldiers before allowing her eyes to return to the Doctor. "So," Rose asked slowly, "do you have a plan?"

"What's the point of plans?" the Doctor asked dramatically, "They always have to be changed as the bad guys do bad and stupid things."

Rose giggled despite the seriousness of the situation and the Doctor smiled at the sound. "Okay, then do you have a gist of what we need to do?" Rose asked, still smiling.

"Stop the bad guys, free my companions and recover the TARDIS," the Doctor replied with a grin.

"What's between a gist and a plan?" Rose questioned, smiling despite herself at the Doctor's energy.

"Potential," the Doctor said happily. "And for the first bit of potential, I have this." The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device. It took Rose a moment to recognize it as a cell phone, from at least a few years in the future. Stunned, she looked back to the Doctor's face.

"You've got a phone?"

"You've called me in the past," the Doctor defended.

"I call the TARDIS," Rose said with a tilt of her head and slight exasperation.

"Yeah… well," the Doctor shifted slightly, "You started making me carry one." 

Rose smirked at his statement, "Good for me." Rose raised her eyebrow, "So, any chance that Sharon or Shireen are listed in there."

"Nope," the Doctor said before he tossed the phone to Rose. "But you know their numbers."

"True," Rose said as she flipped open the phone and noticed it was off. She looked over at the Doctor with a raised eyebrow.

"I carry it," the Doctor said with a smile, "I don't always keep it on."

"That sort of misses the point," Rose said as she hit the power button.

"Not really," the Doctor replied with a shrug, "I turn it on when you inevitablywander off." He shook his head, "You, my dear Jeopardy Friendly, have no regard of Rule One."

"Rule one?" Rose questioned with a smirk as she dialed Shireen's number.

"Don't wander off," the Doctor said firmly before he blinked. "Oh right, you don't know that one yet." The Doctor nodded and pointed at her, "Alright then, Rule One is don't wander off."

"You just told me that I ignore that rule," Rose teased as she brought the phone to her ear. "So what's the point of telling me it then?"

The Doctor didn't answer and might have pouted a tiny bit at her statement. Rose gave him a silly little smile as the phone was answered and held it up to her ear.

"Rose?" Shireen answered in a hopeful tone.

"Yes," Rose said with a smile, "Good guess or something else?" 

"Mister Spock has taken over the security cameras and found you and the Doctor. We can't hear what you're saying," Shireen paused and then chuckled. "Clyde and Rani were out of the room when you snogged him."

"Oh…good," Rose said. "I sort of forgot." 

"Yeah, but their parents called looking for them. I'm not sure if they'll manage to get away any time soon, but you might want to be careful because after your daring escape with the Doctor UNIT has got to know that there is something off with the cameras. According to Spock, UNIT is trying to reboot the system since they know it has been compromised. Plus it's a bit odd seeing you snog our old teacher even if I do know who he is."

"Shireen," Rose said, "Please focus. Where are Luke and Santiago?" 

"Two floors up," Shireen replied. "Mister Spock is bringing the map up for me. UNIT forces are starting to sweep the area, but not where you are just yet. Hopefully we can guide you past them." 

"Good," Rose said. "I've had enough fighting for one day."

"Too bad," Shireen said, "Clyde has been very impressed with your action hero moves."

"Remind him that he's way too young for me," Rose said with a shake of her head.

"I could say so many things about age differences right now," Shireen said in a warm teasing tone, "But Spock just found you a route." 

"Thank goodness for that," Rose said as she looked over at the Doctor who had that irritating amused look on his face. "But I don't think we need a route."

"Nope," the Doctor said before he snatched the phone from Rose's hand. "Shireen please put Spock on." The Doctor grinned, "That never gets old! Brilliant name!"

"I can't take credit," Rose replied with a shrug before she settled down to listen to the Doctor rapidly exchange a series of numbers with the super computer. A few moments later, the Doctor snapped the phone shut and slipped it back into his pocket. Holding his hand out to Rose, he smiled warmly, "Shall we?" 

Rose took his offered hand and let him pull her against him. Smiling up at him, Rose wrapped an arm around the Doctor's neck. "Ready when you are Trouble Magnet."

The Doctor grinned at her, "There's my girl."

Knowing what was coming made all the difference as the room seemed to fall apart around them and breathing became difficult. Everything came back together only seconds later and Rose was able to take in a deep breath right away to steady herself.

"Rose?" Luke's voice asked and she turned to see the boy gaping at her with a hopeful look in his eye. Her phone was still held to his ear.

"It's really me kiddo," Rose assured him as she released the Doctor and stepped towards the boys. "Are you two okay?" 

Luke's eyes darted between Rose and the Doctor, but he managed to nod. Santiago managed a brief nod while his eyes remained fixed on the Doctor.

"Are you?" Santiago breathed the question, "Are you the?" 

"Hello Santiago Jones," the Doctor greeted in a warm tone. "And Luke Chesterton-Smith…. Oh wait it's still just Luke Smith right now isn't it. Sorry."

"You're the Doctor?" Luke asked in awe and shock as he glanced over the man in front of him.

"Yes I am," the Doctor said. "And it is very nice to meet both of you." The Doctor grinned at the two boys for a moment before shifting the conversation, "Now we've got trouble in the funeral wing that is not limited to my death being faked, UNIT traitors and delusional aliens. Rose says you have the power source for their machine." 

"Yes," Santiago said as he dug it out from his pocket and handed it to the Doctor. The Doctor took it carefully and examined it.

"They've modified a memory weave," he muttered.

"Is that bad?" Luke asked.

"Memory weaves are dangerous," the Doctor explained. "They use memories to create real objects from the memories, but they are highly unstable and can kill the people being used to create the object. The Shansheeth have adapted one of these in order to replicate something far more dangerous, the Rassilon Imprimatur. It isn't a good combination."

"They've got my gran," Santiago said panic rising in his voice. "Are you saying that she's going to be killed by that machine?"

"I know they've got Jo," the Doctor said sharply before forcing himself to calm. "I am not going to let them harm Jo or any of my other friends Santiago." The Doctor looked back at the power source, "But while they've got my companions, the TARDIS and the machine. We have the power source and they are blind due to Mister Spock and the sonic pen."

At the mention of the item, Luke pulled it out from his pocket and held it out to Rose. The Doctor snatched it faster than she could and sighed at the sonic pen. "It will have to do I suppose." The Doctor outright ignored the glare from Rose as he turned to examine the room. It was a simple barracks room with a few beds, storage lockers and a bathroom. In the corner was a computer terminal that made the Doctor grin broadly. "Now things are looking up." The Doctor dashed over the terminal and unlocked it with a quick flick of the sonic pen. "Let's see what I have to work with."

Rose followed the Doctor, leaving the boys in semi-stunned silence. She smirked as Santiago whispered to Luke, "He's not quite what I imagined he'd be."

Leaning against the wall next to the terminal, Rose watched the Doctor access the base layouts and the security system.

"They're trying a reboot," the Doctor muttered. "That will knock Spock out for at least a few minutes."

"So they'd be able to find us?" Santiago asked. "Without the computer hiding us I mean." 

"Luke told you about Spock then," Rose remarked as she plucked her phone from Luke's hand with a slight smile. "Then you know that we do this sort of thing all the time." Rose gave the young teenager a reassuring smile, "Trust me, your gran will be fine." When Santiago nodded to Rose, she lifted the phone to her ear. "Any ideas in London?"

"Has Mister Spock been recording any of the real footage?" Luke suddenly asked. "He's been putting the cameras on loops to keep us hidden in UNIT, but does he have any of the real footage?"

Rose blinked at Luke and in the corner of the eyes saw the Doctor turn to look at the boy with a small smile. Into the phone, Rose asked, "Mister Spock have you been saving the real footage of us in the base?" She hit the speakerphone feature a second later.

"My memory banks have a record of it as I was viewing it in order to track your movements," the Xylok replied in a slightly surprised voice.

"Can we fake a reboot?" Luke asked as he walked over to the computer the Doctor was standing by. "Use the footage that Mister Spock blocked to make us look like we're somewhere else. Fake it so we seem to be in different rooms than we are and keep them a few steps behind us."

The Doctor grinned at the young man and placed his left hand on Luke's shoulder. Rose's eyes widened as the light reflected off of a simple ring on his ring finger. She forced herself to pay attention as the Doctor moved Luke directly in front of the computer. "I believe that you're the one for this job on our side of things Luke," the Doctor said warmly. He moved closer to Rose, plucked the phone from her hand and turned to Santiago. "Rose and I will go to the main room and free the others. From here I need you and Luke to distract and scatter the guards as much as possible. Understand?"

"Yes Doctor," Santiago said with a nod before he walked over to join Luke, setting the phone at the top of the terminal.

Rose met the Doctor's eyes and nodded, "So we have a plan?"

"We have a plan," the Doctor agreed with a nod before he held his left hand out to Rose.

Rose stared at the ring for a moment, trying to convince herself that it couldn't possibly be what her cultural view was saying it was. Glancing back at the Doctor's face she found him smiling and slipped her hand into his.

Colonel Karim was grinding her teeth as she looked through the reports her soldiers had sent to her pad. The security system had failed and someone else was in control and hiding Tyler, the Doctor and the two boys that had escaped. Karim knew enough of Tyler's history to recognize that it had been the teenage girl who took down her soldiers. What really made the Colonel angry was Tyler stripping them of their weapons and dumping them in the trash. The girl had no respect!

"Trouble Karim?" Sarah Jane asked from her position, still strapped into the Shansheeth's Collector.

"Well it must be fairly embarrassing," Ace suggested with a smirk, "Go to all this trouble to trap the Doctor's friends, steal the TARDIS and be a traitor to UNIT only to have a teenage girl steal the machine's power source and help the Doctor escape from a trap." Ace paused, "I really like that girl."

"Rose is called jeopardy friendly for a reason, but she is very good at getting herself out of trouble," Sarah Jane admitted.

"Tyler is a lucky brat," Karim growled.

"Getting out of trouble with aliens once is luck," Barbara said firmly, "Twice is talent and more than three times is just being damn good." Barbara examined the Colonel. "What do you get from this colonel?"

Colonel Karim turned to look at Barbara and stepped menacingly towards the woman, but seemed to restrain herself a moment later. They stared at each other until Karim answered, "Greater horizons Mrs. Chesterton. The Shansheeth can take me anywhere. There is nothing left for me on Earth."

Barbara opened her mouth to reply when one of the soldiers moved over to the Colonel. "The security reboot was successful and we've found them. The Doctor and Tyler are in the lower levels and the boys have been located in one of the barrack rooms."

"Excellent," Karim replied with a slow smile. "Seal the Doctor and Tyler in the lower levels to box them in and then take them into custody."

"And the youths," the soldier asked, a slightly uncomfortable look crossing his face.

"Just lock them back into their cells," Karim replied calmly, reading the soldier's face. "No reason to harm the children."

"The Doctor has saved Earth over and over again and you're going to kill him?" Tegan demanded to the soldier.

"You have your orders," Karim told the man firmly. "This is far larger than the Doctor and as long as he doesn't interfere there is no need to harm him." 

"Raise your hands if you buy that statement," Ace snapped. "Oh wait, we can't because your crazy colonel has us chained into an alien machine." 

"Ignore them," the colonel said to the soldier who was glancing around with the uncomfortable expression on his face growing.

"Colonel… this just seems."

Karim snarled and before the man could react pulled her own gun and shot the man in the chest. Victoria and Mel screamed as he fell to the floor. Karim sighed and slipped her gun back into her holster before turning to the Shansheeth.

"Keep working on fixing the machine." 

"They have taken the power source," the head Shansheeth replied. "We cannot power up the machine otherwise." 

Karim stalked over to the machine's controls and pressed a series of buttons. "Link the machine into the base's generator. The Doctor has the power source now so we won't be getting it back."

"The base system will overload," the Shansheeth replied.

"Then it is a good thing that you'll be able to control the TARDIS when that happens," Karim replied calmly. "We'll leave and this mess will clean itself up."

"Very well," the Shansheeth replied solemnly. "The Crusade must be completed."

"Indeed," Karim said. "Now if you excuse me, I need to go and make sure that the rest of my troops don't start asking too many questions."

The Colonel gave one last long look around the room at the struggling companions before her eyes trailed down to the dead man at her feet. She shook her head and stepped around his body as she walked towards the door.

"The Doctor will stop this," Polly shouted, "Bigger and better than you have tried to take him down." 

"You're forgetting something Mrs. Jackson," the Colonel said as she turned back towards the prisoners. "I know where the children are." The Colonel smirked and added, "Given the choice between saving the world and saving the children, the Doctor always goes the wrong way."

Luke looked up from the computer console with a frown. "Mister Spock what is Karim's position?"

"Colonel Karim is heading in your direction," the Xylok replied from London.

"I thought you used the camera images to hide us?" Santiago asked in confusion with a worried look towards the door.

"I placed your image in another room," Mister Spock explained, "But there are a limited number of rooms on the two barracks floors with the same layout as this room. I estimate that it will only take ten minutes for her men to locate your exact position."

"What about the Doctor and Rose?" Luke asked, glancing over at the door himself.

"They are working their way back towards the main funeral wing. However, the Shansheeth seem to be connecting their machine to the UNIT generator of the base."

"Can they do that?" Santiago asked with wide eyes. "I mean is it compatible?" 

"No, it is not," Mister Spock replied shortly. "The energy will power the machine for a brief period of time which will require the Shansheeth to use the highest settings on their prisoners. The machine will then overload and most likely explode from the strain as they are removing the program's safety measures."

"So UNIT troops are about to find us, the Shansheeth have decided to use a dangerous energy source to get what they want and if they succeed then the base will blow up with everyone inside while they escape in the TARDIS to cause a massive paradox," Santiago clarified.

"I'm afraid Santiago that your assessment is accurate," the Xylok replied. "The General and his forces are closing in on the base and Colonel Karim has yet to make any sign that she aware of their approach."

"Will they arrive in time?" Luke asked.

"I'm afraid not," the Xylok replied.

"Can you contact the Doctor?" Santiago asked.

"No," the Xylok said, "He turned the phone off."

Luke groaned and Santiago banged his hand against the door. "At least you locked it with the sonic pen," Santiago said.

"Won't hold them off for long," Luke said. "And the Doctor doesn't know about the Shansheeth's new plan."

"Could you shut down the generator?" Santiago asked suddenly.

"What?" Luke asked.

"If we got down there, could you shut it down safely?" Santiago asked Luke. "You're brilliant and we've got Mister Spock on the phone so could you shut it down?"

"I…" Luke paused, "I don't know."

"Given your high intelligence Luke and my knowledge of the generator's systems the odds of you successfully preventing the total powerup of the Shansheeth's machine is-"

"Don't-" Luke said, cutting off the machine. "Alright then, how do we get out of here?"

"The air vent at the far end of the room will get you away from the immediate UNIT search," Mister Spock replied. "I will keep you hidden as long as I can and guide you to the main generator."

"Will they be able to link to a backup generator if we shut off the main one?" Luke asked as Santiago pulled out a penknife and unscrewed the air vent cover.

"The backup generators throughout the base are on a separate system and would not provide the necessary power."

"Right then," Santiago said as he pulled the cover off of the air vent. "We have a plan." Santiago glanced back at Luke, "I hope the Doctor is as good as Gran always said he was."

"Even if he isn't Rose is with him," Luke said with a forced smile before slipping the phone into his pocket. "And she's better than that idiot Colonel is expecting."


	44. Death of the Doctor: Trouble Magnet

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Forty-Four: Trouble Magnet and Jeopardy Friendly

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: I'm sorry this took so long! I wrote the ending with no trouble at all, but I had horrible writers block for the rest of the chapter. On a more positive note, thanks for the positive reviews of the Eleven and Rose interaction, I'm glad that I seem to be on the right track with those two. This episode will have one more chapter that includes a massive Companions Club dinner and Rose's birthday visit with Ten.

Luke was trying not to shake as he and Santiago maneuvered through the base to avoid the UNIT soldiers. Despite Santiago's faith in his intelligence and Mister Spock's firm statement that Luke could shut down the machine he was still very scared. Taking a deep breath, Luke forced himself to calm down. His entire family was at stake and he couldn't panic.

"I think we're almost there," Santiago said clearly, "The humming is getting a lot louder."

"Good," Luke answered just before they turned another corner. "My knees are starting to hurt."

"Yeah, "Santiago agreed, "I've never done air vents before."

Santiago carefully removed the grate and lowered it outside the vent. The taller boy climbed out first and looked around the room before he turned to help Luke climb out. They were in a small service room filled with piping and a loud humming noise.

"The main controls are through the door," Mister Spock announced over the speakerphone. "No UNIT personnel are currently in the room, but some are close. You will have to remain aware of your exit. I will track any approaching forces for you."

"Thanks Spock," Luke said as he walked over to the door. "How much time have we got? 

"The Shansheeth have started drawing power from the generator," the Xylok replied, "They will be able to turn the machine back on in fourteen minutes and twenty-two seconds at the present rate of energy drain."

"Right," Luke said as he opened the door and stepped into the main generator room. He swallowed nervously as he looked at the massive control panels that controlled the huge machine. "Let's do this then."

Santiago set a hand of Luke's shoulder. "Relax Luke, you can do this." He smiled encouragingly and added, "Just tell me what to do."

"Thanks," Luke said before he turned to the main controls and set the phone down next to him on the controls. "It looks fairly simple, but I can see safety systems to prevent the total shutdown of the generator in place."

"It is not necessary to completely shut down the generator," Mister Spock replied. "But the current power output must drop below thirty percent. The system will automatically power the medical wing and lights first in such an event and will have insufficient power for the Shansheeth."

"I understand," Luke said, "Santiago keep an eye on the doors and our exit. Mister Spock, let's do this."

The Doctor kept a tight grip on Rose's left hand as they moved through the hallways as silently as they could. Both of them were listening careful for the sound of patrols in the hallway and watching the side rooms. Every few feet, the Doctor was using the sonic pen to unlock doors in case a quick escape from the main hallway was needed. They were approaching the main funeral wing and the sound of yelling was becoming louder even if Rose couldn't recognize the voices. A pull on her hand made Rose turn her attention back to the Doctor and he nodded to the door he had just unlocked. Nodding, Rose followed him into the room and shut the door as carefully as she could.

"Time to talk about distraction," the Doctor said seriously. "Rose, I'm going to get the attention of the Shansheeth and get them away from my companions." Rose's displeasure must have shown on her face because the Doctor quickly added, "I have the vortex manipulator to get away so don't worry on that front. Do you have your TARDIS key?" Rose nodded and pulled the chain out from under her shirt, showing the Doctor the familiar yale key. "Then get everyone into the TARDIS. You'll be safe in there for a little while."

"This doesn't seem like a very safe plan," Rose said softly. "The Shansheeth have those energy beams that they used on you before."

"I'll be alright," the Doctor said. "They took me by surprise then. Most Shansheeth don't have such a weapon so I wasn't expecting something like that."

Rose bit her lip nervously, but nodded. "Please be careful."

The Doctor smiled warmly at her and kissed her forehead softly, "I'll be alright Rose. Let's get closer to the main room and find you somewhere to hide until the Shansheeth have gone past."

"Something is going to go wrong with this plan," Rose said nervously.

"Probably," the Doctor agreed, "But we can handle it." He handed her the sonic pen and rolled up his left sleeve so that the vortex manipulator controls were easy to reach. "You haven't asked about the ring yet," the Doctor noted when he took a step towards the door and looked over his shoulder at her.'

Rose recovered from her surprise quickly and smiled softly while she shook her head. "And I'm not going to."

The Doctor smirked and reached out his hand for hers. Rose slipped her fingers around his and let the Doctor lead her out of the room and back into the hallway. They moved more quickly this time until the doors of the main funeral room were in sight. Rose used the sonic pen to unlock one of the guest rooms in the corridor and pushed it open.

"Be careful Jeopardy Friendly," the Doctor whispered when Rose released his hand.

"You be careful Trouble Magnet," Rose replied with a forced smile.

Rose closed the door gently, leaving only a tiny crack open so she could watch the corridor. The Doctor stood still in the hallway for a moment before he headed towards the main door. Lowering her right hand, Rose called forth her sword and relaxed as the familiar weight settled into her hand. Nothing ever went to plan so she wanted to be ready for however things were about to go wrong.

The Doctor calmly walked up to the main door and glanced back behind him to make sure that Rose wasn't visible even with the door open a tiny crack. Satisfied, the Doctor turned to the door's controls and calmly pulled open the mechanisms and crossed three wires. The door slid open into the walls and the Doctor peeked around the corner to see the Shansheeth, Karim and two UNIT soldiers staring at him with varying degrees of shock.

"Oops, thought you'd cleared out," the Doctor muttered as he ignored the shouts from his former companions. He quickly reconnected the door's wires, forcing the door shut again and spun around. The Doctor winked at Rose and started down the hallway just before the door crashed open. Karim rushed out, shouting something to the soldiers that followed her. Two Shansheeth swept out of the room after the Doctor. Rose bit her lip again, there were three Shansheeth and one had stayed behind. She listened to the commotion die down and slowly eased the door open. Rose kept a tight grip on her sword as she moved towards the still open door, holding the sonic pen in her left hand. With any luck she'd be able to hold off the final Shansheeth with her right hand and free at least one person with her left hand.

Carefully, she looked around the corner of the door. Only the last Shanstheeth remained in the room as she suspected. Rose paused and examined one of the operating tables. The companions were being held at their wrists and ankles, and the strange device around their heads would have to be removed as well. Rose glanced around to see if there was anything she could use as a blunt weapon; she didn't want to cut off another head until she absolutely had to. Seeing nothing else loose, Rose crept forward into the room and signaled for everyone to remain quiet.

Sarah Jane loudly asked the Shansheeth a question about the side effects of the machine, causing it to turn and look at her. Rose nodded in thanks as she moved to get behind the giant bird, but then her foot slipped against one of the cables and caused a crunching noise. The Shansheeth spun around and backhanded Rose, knocking her back against the table that held Victoria. The older woman screamed loudly as the Shansheeth raised its hand to blast Rose with energy. Rose saw the energy sparking in the Shansheeth's hand and noticed the strange band on its hand that must have been the weapon. On instinct, Rose raised her sword to block the blast and brought her left hand up to shield her eyes.

The energy weapon discharged and hit the sword with a cracking noise. Rose was pushed back into the operating table by the force of the weapon, but noted with some surprise that the energy was mostly reflecting off of her sword and discharging around the room. Dropping the sonic pen, Rose grabbed the sword's hilt with both hands and adjusted it slightly to direct the energy reflection back at the Shansheeth. For a moment she wasn't sure it was working until the Shansheeth gave a horrible cry and was surrounded by the same blue energy it was shooting at Rose. The giant bird collapsed a moment later and the energy discharged in a series of sparks. Forcing herself to take a deep breath, Rose bent down and retrieved the sonic pen and allowed her sword to shift back into its bracelet form.

"Is it dead?" Victoria asked timidly behind Rose.

"I don't think so," Rose said as she examined the Shansheeth for a moment. "It looks like it is still breathing."

Rose straightened up and set to work on freeing Victoria. The sonic pen actually wasn't even needed to open the locks as a button near each of the locks snapped them wide open. Victoria climbed off the table and without any instruction moved to the next captive and started letting them loose. Once she had set Sarah Jane and Ian free, Rose left them to free all the others and walked over to the TARDIS. Pulling out her key, Rose unlocked the TARDIS and gestured everyone inside.

Ian closed the TARDIS doors carefully once everyone was inside and Rose nervously looked at the console controls.

"It's changed a lot," Tegan said softly.

"Yeah," Jo agreed. "Still smells the same though."

"Yes it does," Mel agreed with a slight smile before she turned to Rose. "Where is the Doctor?"

"I'm not sure," Rose admitted as she grabbed an odd television that was hanging over the console. "He caused a distraction so I could get to you."

Rose pressed a few buttons on the screen and smiled when it suddenly flickered to life. It showed the outside room with the collapsed Shansheeth and the empty operating tables.

"Now what?" Ace asked as she joined Rose at the screen. "We still can't leave."

"UNIT forces under General Lethbridge-Stewart are on their way," Rose said. "We just have to wait them out." 

"Where is Luke?" Sarah Jane asked Rose. "Have you seen him?"

"I left Luke and Santiago in a sealed barracks room with Mister Spock on my phone," Rose said. "He'll keep them updated and they aren't the main targets."

"Good," Jo said with a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Rose replied with a smile. "I just hope the Doctor is safe."

"That man is never safe," Ben said with a shake of his head, "But he'll be alright."

The companions had been wandering the console room for only a few minutes; looking at the new rooms, examining the controls, and quietly speaking to each other; before movement on the screen made Rose look back at it. The Shansheeth leader walked into the room with Karim and the Doctor in tow. Rose gasped as Karim snarled and walked over to the TARDIS to bang on the doors.

"Too bad," the Doctor said calmly as he looked around the room. His eyes traveled to the injured Shansheeth that was being helped to his feet. "Looks like that hurt."

"Brother," the leader Shansheeth asked. "What transpired?" 

"A girl with a sword tried to attack me. I used the weapon on her, but her sword reflected it back at me."

"Star Knight swords are very difficult to beat," the Doctor observed. "Honestly, you're lucky the energy backlash didn't kill you."

"He's stalling," Karim snapped at the Shansheeth before she pulled out her gun and pointed it at the Doctor. "How many regenerations have you got left?"

"Only a few more," the Doctor replied before turning his attention back to the Shansheeth. "Sorry about losing your energy source. I'm afraid it will take you a long time to find it in this place."

"We don't need the energy source," Karim hissed. "The machine has been linked to the main generator."

"The amount of power you'd need to draw in order to operate a memory weave would overload the generator," the Doctor said with wide eyes. He paused and nodded, "But you planned to be safe in the TARDIS with your new Rassilon Imprimatur when the generator exploded." The Doctor's eyes hardened, "Leaving everyone else to die." The Doctor looked towards the TARDIS, "The screen is on so I know you can hear me, don't let them get any of you!"

The Shansheeth leader glared at the Doctor before he turned to the TARDIS. "Open the doors," the Shansheeth said firmly, "Or the Doctor shall die with us in the explosion."

"Don't let them into my TARDIS!" the Doctor snapped, giving the Shansheeth his own glare. "It wouldn't help me anyway since they want to make a huge paradox that will swallow the universe."

"The paradox would take time to reach that level," the Shansheeth leader replied solemnly. "But in the meantime there would be no death and no suffering. No end to life before it simply flickered out of existence. "

The Doctor stared at the Shansheeth for a long moment and shook his head sadly, "So you do understand then what you're doing." The Doctor sighed and looked towards the TARDIS, "But it doesn't work that way Shansheeth."

"We have seen too much death to stop now, death shall be conquered," the Shansheeth insisted as he became more aggravated.

"Trust me," the Doctor said, "You haven't seen as much death as I have." The Doctor looked right at the Shansheeth once again. "Everything has to end sometime, otherwise nothing would ever get started. You may stop death, but you will rob the universe of everything else that would have ever begun."

The Shansheeth shook his head, almost sadly, "Perhaps, but the living shall not weep in sorrow. There will be no mourning and no tears. It is a worthy end of the universe rather than cold darkness and death."

"That's not up to you," the Doctor said with a shake of his head. "Even I wouldn't try to control such a thing."

"Then we shall all die together," the Shansheeth announced, "with this mountain as our tomb."

Rose's fingers itched to call her sword and charge the Shansheeth and looking around the console room she could see that everyone felt the same way. Ace was pacing near the door and nearly vibrating. Tegan was biting at her nails while Jo and Sarah Jane held each other with worry for the boys. Mel walked around the TARDIS console away from the video screen and stopped in front of the phone.

"Anyone have someone they need to call?" Mel asked in a soft voice. "Kids or something?"

Tegan turned towards the phone, but Rose made a grab for it with a grin. Picking it up, Rose quickly dialed her own number and waited impatiently while it rang, but she was met with only a busy signal. Trying again, Rose dialed Shireen's number and almost jumped for joy when it was answered.

"Rose!" Shireen cried in relief, "We can't hear what's happening!"

"The Shansheeth are putting the generator into critical. Can Spock stop it?!" Rose asked, aware that the attention of everyone in the TARDIS was on her.

"No, but Luke is already down there with Santiago shutting it down. Spock is helping them."

"He's what?!" Rose gasped, "Luke and Santiago weren't supposed to leave the safe room!"

"Well the Doctor shut his phone off again," Shireen replied tensely. "And someone had to go and turn it off."

Rose looked up at Sarah Jane and said, "Luke and Santiago are shutting down the generator."

"He's what!?" Sarah Jane snapped, "But-"

"Look!" Victoria shouted over the din in the TARDIS, "Something is wrong!"

The Shansheeth leader turned away from the Doctor at the shout of his fellow undertaker. "What do you mean energy levels are falling?"

"The energy from the generator is lowering," the Shansheeth replied. "The overload has been adverted!"

Colonel Karim paled and rushed over to the machine. "This can't be happening!"

The Doctor smiled slightly, "Good boy Luke," he said under his breath and he slowly climbed to his feet while the Shansheeth leader and Karim fought with the controls. Smirking, he slowly inched his way to the TARDIS. Ace grinned inside the TARDIS and quickly eased the door open. The Doctor jumped into the TARDIS just in time to miss a bullet fired by Colonel Karim.

"Well that was exciting," the Doctor said, leaning on the closed door. "Brilliant boy you have Sarah Jane!"

"How did you know?" Sarah Jane asked in shock.

"Educated guess; systems like that have to shut down locally so it couldn't be Spock, Rose was in the TARDIS and Luke had her phone so Luke it was."

The Doctor rubbed his hands together while he looked around the room, "Welcome back aboard the TARDIS, as you can see she's changed a bit, but same rules still apply." Gleefully, the Doctor passed his companions to get to the console. The Doctor smiled at Rose gently and asked, "How far off is Alistair?"

Blinking, Rose repeated the question to Shireen and grinned at the reply. She set the phone against her shoulder and beamed at the Doctor. "They're pulling up the main road now," Rose replied.

The Doctor nodded and turned back to the monitor. Karim was firing at the door and screaming in a blind rage. Shaking his head, the Doctor reached for one of the levers and flipped it. He turned to look at Sarah Jane over his shoulder. "How about we go and pick up Luke and Santiago?"

"That sounds perfect," Sarah Jane replied with a wide smile.

"Alright then," the Doctor said before he started moving around the console, pressing buttons and flipping levers.

"I hope you've gotten better at driving," Tegan said, but the words were softened by her smile.

"I've never been that bad!" the Doctor shouted to the room full of companions. To his dismay a loud reply to the negative met his words. Shaking his head, the Doctor sighed dramatically and glanced at Rose who was simply smiling.

Luke sighed in relief as the energy levels finally held steady at 28 percent. Santiago slapped him lightly on the back, "That was great Luke!"

"Yeah," Luke replied, "I just hope our families are safe."

A strange wheezing noise echoed in the large room and both boys felt a wind picking up. Santiago gasped as the outline of a blue box appeared in front of them. "It's the TARDIS," Santiago breathed, "Oh wow!"

The TARDIS finished appearing in front of them a moment later and Sarah Jane swung the door open and jumped out. Luke grinned as his mother pulled into a tight hug, whispering praise into his hair. Santiago smiled at the reunion and looked back at the TARDIS in time to see his grandmother dart out. Grinning, Santiago accepted the hug form her.

"Come on Smith and Jones!" the Doctor shouted from the doorway of the TARDIS, "UNIT forces are retaking the base."

When everyone was back inside the TARDIS, the Doctor looked around at the assembled group with a small smile. He nodded to himself and turned back to the controls. The TARDIS shook slightly, but only for a moment before the journey smoothed out. Victoria moved in front of the view screen as it flickered back on and showed the image of the main funeral wing. The hallway was now filled with soldiers who were staring at the blue box with awe. A knock on the door a moment later made the Doctor grin and nod to Mel who was closest to the door. Mel Bush grinned and opened the door with a smile. Colonel Benton and General Lethbridge-Stewart were calmly standing in front of her.

"Hello gentlemen," Mel greeted.

"Where's the Doctor?" the General asked with a sigh.

"Don't be rude Mel," the Doctor shouted from the console. "We've got everyone else in here, the more the merrier!"

Mel stepped aside to let the Colonel and General into the TARDIS. Both men paused and looked around the new interior. Colonel Benton spoke first, "She's changed a lot."

"A bit," the Doctor replied with a grin. "Of course you haven't seen her since she was still sporting the white look." The Doctor turned his attention to the General, "Any trouble?"

"No Doctor," the General said, "Karim's forces began to as soon as we arrived. The Colonel herself was just taken into custody and the Shansheeth have placed themselves under UNIT's authority." The General paused, "We've also received an odd message from the…"

"Wide Wing of the Shansheeth sir," Benton provided.

"Actually it's Wide Wing of the High Shansheeth Nest," the Doctor corrected.

"Right, that lot extending an apology for the deception of these Shansheeth and assuring us that they were a rogue element."

"Well, no species is perfect," the Doctor replied with a shrug. "Sorry for the trouble."

"I'm just glad that Tyler's friends could contact me via my secure and secret line," the General said turning his attention to Rose. "And don't think we won't be talking about that Thorn."

"Yes General," Rose said with a slight flinch.

"Be nice Alistair," the Doctor teased, "Or she could always leave with me and then where would you be."

"With one less headache source," the General replied, but a slight smile gave him away. "I expect a report of this Thorn."

"Seriously," Rose gaped.

"By Friday," the General finished. "I'll be nice since your birthday is this week."

Rose closed her mouth before she got herself into more trouble, "Yes General."

"Thorn?" Ace asked with a tilt of her head. "What's the story there?" 

"I'll tell you later," Rose muttered, ignoring Benton's amused smile from across the room.

"Well Doctor," Benton said drawing everyone's attention, "Shall UNIT make arrangement to see everyone home?"

The Doctor looked across the room and smiled slightly, "What do you lot think?" 

"I think you could take us as far as London," Tegan suggested, "We can all get home from there."

Noises of agreement filled the room and the Doctor paused as if considering it before he nodded. "Right then, grab your bags and I'll get you all back to London. Same day even."

"You'd better," Polly added with a smile. "I think I'm a bit too old to do the jumping through time game again."

"You and me both," Tegan replied as she walked towards the door. "You wouldn't think Heathrow was so hard to get to."

"I got you there!" the Doctor shouted at their backs.

Rose laughed and shook her head at the Doctor as everyone started to clear out to grab their things from their rooms. She paused and considered saying something, but the Doctor shook his head at her. Nodding, Rose turned and walked out of the TARDIS. She joined Sarah Jane in their room and grabbed her bag before she followed everyone back inside the TARDIS.

Shireen and Sharon were pacing in front of Spock while Clyde and Rani watched them from the sofa.

"I can't believe we missed the Doctor arriving," Clyde muttered.

"I know," Rani said with a sigh, "It sounded really cool."

K-9 suddenly rolled to the center of the room and extended his sensor array. "Temporal energy building," the robot said. "Please clear the area."

Mister Spock's screen flared up as the humans cleared the main area of the room, opening up the space. "Temporal flux escalating in this vicinity," Spock said as the TARDIS wheezing sound started to fill the room. A moment later the materialization finished and Spock added, "The TARDIS has landed."

"Oh that is cool," Clyde said with a wide smile just before the door of the TARDIS opened and Luke stepped out carrying his bag.

"It's our house Mum," Luke shouted into the TARDIS before he walked over to join his friends. Luke tossed his bag on the floor and accepted hugs from Clyde and Rani. Santiago stepped out of the TARDIS behind Sarah Jane.

K-9 rolled over to Luke, "Welcome home young master Luke." 

"Thanks K-9," Luke replied.

"On top of everything else you've got a talking dog," Santiago said with a laugh, "That's it. I'm giving up." Luke laughed and introduced Santiago to Clyde and Rani.

Rose watched from the jump seat as one by one the companions walked over the Doctor and said something to him in a low voice. Almost everyone hugged him and smiled as he said something to them in turn. Rose was pleased to see happiness in the Doctor's eyes as each of his friends then picked up their bags and headed out into Sarah Jane's attic. Once only the Chestertons were left, Ian shook the Doctor's hand and grinned at him before looking over at Rose.

"I need to talk to Rose alone," the Doctor said in explanation. "Time line preservation and all that. What she can and can't say to the earlier version of me."

"Alright," Ian said with a nod. He gave the Doctor a long searching look before he stepped back for Barbara to hug the Doctor.

"You are a wonderful person to know," Barbara said with a wide smile. "Funny how things work out in the end." She kissed the Doctor on the cheek before taking Ian's hand and leaving the TARDIS.

The Doctor stared at the door for a long moment as it closed, leaving just him and Rose in the TARDIS. Sliding off the jump seat, Rose walked over to the Doctor and took his hand. "Are you alright?" 

"I'm wonderful," the Doctor said as a smile spread across his face. He turned to face Rose and pulled her into a hug. "They are all so brilliant!"

Rose nodded and returned the hug for the long moment the Doctor held her. He eased his grip on her a moment later and stepped back. "When my ninth body died, I looked back on all of them," the Doctor said softly. "I was so proud to see what they'd done with their lives and that… that they didn't regret coming with me." Rose didn't say anything. She just nodded and squeezed his hand.

"So anything I need to know for timelines?" Rose finally asked.

"Just don't get too specific," the Doctor said calmly with a slight shrug. "All I knew was that somehow you had managed to meet almost all of my companions from Earth." The Doctor sighed and Rose chuckled.

"It can't be that bad," Rose said with a smirk.

"Remember how I reacted when I found out you knew Sarah Jane and the Chestertons?" the Doctor asked. Rose's smile was the only answer he needed. "This is ten times worse."

"I promise I won't tease you… too badly," Rose promised suppressing a giggle.

The Doctor smiled at her giggle and leaned down to kiss her softly. Rose smiled against his lips and eagerly responded as the Doctor wrapped his arms around him. The kiss ended gently and Rose leaned against the Doctor with a smile while her fingers toyed with his bowtie.

"I doubt I'd find this half as attractive on anyone else," Rose observed with a chuckle before she pulled away from the Doctor and straightened up.

"Bow ties are cool," the Doctor said as he adjusted the bowtie.

Rose smiled and carefully straightened the bowtie. "On you they are," she agreed before she leaned up to give him one last quick kiss. "Be careful Trouble Magnet," Rose said as she picked up her bag and walked down the ramp towards the door.

"Stay out of trouble Jeopardy Friendly," the Doctor called after her.

Rose grinned and turned back to him. "I make no promises," Rose said before she blew him a kiss and stepped out into the attic. She watched with a small smile as the TARDIS vanished from sight, dropped her bag on the ground and turned to the other companions. "So when do we start swapping stories. I warn you that I've got some good ones."

"I'm sure you do," Ace agreed as she threw her arm over Rose's shoulders, "but I've got some good ones of my own."

"Oh," Santiago said suddenly before pulling the small alien energy source from his pocket. "I should have given this to the Doctor."

"Don't worry about it," Sarah Jane said with a laugh. "Consider it a reminder of your own alien adventure." Sarah Jane paused, "Or if you really want it to get to the Doctor, just give it to Rose. I'm sure she'll see him soon enough."

Rose sighed as everyone looked back at her and shrugged. "I'm jeopardy friendly, seeing the Doctor is a side effect of that condition."

"So," Sarah Jane said as she reached for her phone, "Pizza work for everyone?"


	45. Death of the Doctor: Expanded Membership

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Forty-Five: Expanded Membership

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: I am so far behind schedule, but I live in hope of catching up! How is it already June!? I know I said that this would be the last chapter in this episode, but the companions just wanted to keep talking so I'm going to give the date its own chapter. I think I just answered my own question as to why I'm so behind, but this is an important episode!

In hindsight Rose would realize that the entire evening was completely ridiculous. Pizza boxes were spread throughout the kitchen along with a variety of beverages, including more alcohol than such a group should even be allowed contact with much less allowed to drink. After the pizza order had been placed, poor Sarah Jane who had suddenly been forced into a hostess role called for attention. In a scene very similar to school, everyone had to introduce themselves and describe which Doctor they had traveled with. In the case of Sharon, Shireen, Clyde, Rani, Luke, Santiago and even Rose herself this had been edited to explaining their connection to a companion or to the Doctor.

"I'm Sarah Jane Smith," Sarah Jane said with a wide smile, "This is my home on Bannerman Road in Ealing. I met the Doctor when he had white hair and was working for UNIT in the 1970s. I wandered into the TARDIS and he took off not knowing I was in there, I didn't believe that we had traveled through time at first." Sarah Jane smiled, "I was with him through a regeneration into a new body that wore this ridiculous long scarf. I had to leave the TARDIS when the Doctor was called back to Gallifrey after a few years of traveling with him. I'm a journalist and I've come across aliens many times over the years. In fact one such occasion was how I met Rose. Luke is my adoptive son and the one who saved us by shutting down the generator and I'm engaged to Johnny Chesterton."

"I'm Ian Chesterton," Ian said with a charming smile. "My wife, Barbara, and I taught at Coal Hill School in the 1960s. This was before we were married and a student of ours named Susan was very strange. Once day we followed her home to make sure that everything was alright." Ian shook his head, "Turned out home was the TARDIS and her grandfather was the first incarnation of the Doctor."

"He had a granddaughter," Jo asked with interest. "That's new."

"Back then the Doctor wasn't a huge fan of humans," Barbara said. "I like to think that we helped change his mind over the time we traveled with him." Barbara smiled at Ian, "We managed to return to Earth in a Dalek time ship to 1965, though because of the mixture of the TARDIS and the Dalek ship's temporal energies our aging was slowed down. We got married shortly after returning and Johnny is our son," Barbara added with a smile.

"Now we teach at Cambridge University," Ian said, "That's how we met Rose and became entangled in her extreme knack for finding trouble."

Everyone turned to look at Johnny who was standing with his parents and Sarah Jane. "I'm Johnny Chesterton soon to be Johnny Chesterton-Smith and today was the first time I was ever in the TARDIS. As you've heard my parents both traveled with the Doctor."

"I'm Luke," Luke said nervously as his mother put his hand on his shoulder. "I'm Sarah Jane's son."

"And brilliant," Santiago added with a grin.

"I'm Polly Jackson," the older woman with long hair said with a smile. "I was born in 1942 in London and I met the Doctor in 1966, by the sound of it the same Doctor that Ian and Barbara knew. Ben and I ended up in TARDIS just before it took off."

"She made us end up in there," Ben added from beside her with a smile. "I had found a key that the Doctor dropped and she insisted that we try it."

"I guess we saw the Doctor through his first regeneration," Polly continued without reacting to Ben. "We were very close to a young man from Scotland in the 18th century named Jamie McCrimmon. He was a fleeing Jacobite so the Doctor let him come with us. We traveled with them for a while before returning to London a little while before we left. No one ever even knew we were gone."

"We dated for a few months," Ben said picking up the conversation. "Her family didn't think much of me. Polly and I traveled the world together and settled in India for a while. I'm still not sure how it happened, but we run an orphanage there. Polly and I have a daughter Emily who lives here in England. She's married and we have one grandson William through her. We met Victoria by accident a decade ago when we were all in Tibet." Ben turned to Victoria and smiled at her.

"I am Victoria Bates, I was born Victoria Waterfield in 1852. I met the Doctor when my father's experiments linked Earth to the Dalek homeworld of Skaro in 1866. My father was killed by the Daleks and the Doctor took me with him the TARDIS. He was still traveling in the same form that Ben and Polly knew him in then and Jamie was still with him. I left the TARDIS to settle in England 1968 with a family happy to take me in. I caught up in my education and a few years later UNIT created a complete biography for me at the Doctor's request. I met my husband Robert in 1974 and we married a year later. He is a part of the Foreign Service which is how I ended up living in Berlin. We have three children and eight grandchildren."

"Does your husband know about everything?" Tegan asked carefully.

"No, he doesn't," Victoria said. "That's one of the reasons why my meeting with Ben and Polly was such a relief. Robert couldn't handle the total truth so having someone to talk to was a blessing."

"Right, I can see that," Tegan said before shrugging, "I guess I'll go next then. I'm Tegan Jovanka, I'm Australian. I was an air stewardess trainee when I wandered in the TARDIS thinking it was a genuine police box. Unfortunately I got caught up in a plot by one of the Doctor's enemies, the Master, who killed my aunt and nearly destroyed the universe. The first Doctor I knew was the one that Sarah Jane traveled with, the one with the scarf, but he regenerated very soon after I met him. I traveled with the Doctor for years," Tegan paused, "I left after a really really bad day with the Daleks."

Everyone in the room who had encountered the Daleks nodded knowingly and Jo who was standing next to Tegan put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"After that I went back to Australia," Tegan said. "It took me a while to find what I really should be doing. I had a disastrous marriage and after I got my divorce I adopted my two wonderful children. Chloe is five and Ethan is eight. I worked at my father's company for a few years, but now I operate an organization that campaigns for Aboriginal rights."

"Good for you," Polly said with a nod. "That's excellent work."

"Well I'm Jo Jones," Jo introduced herself with a smile, "As several of you already know, I worked for UNIT in my early twenties, which is how I met the Doctor. I was his assistant," Jo laughed, "I wasn't always very good at it, but it was a lot of fun. I actually met my husband Doctor Cliff Jones through my UNIT work. We work around the globe on environmental causes with our entire family. That's seven children and twelve grandchildren, such as Santiago here."

"Hi, I'm Santiago Jones, Gran just told you the basics of my life. My entire family travels the globe and works on environmental projects and causes." Santiago grinned, "I've seen Gran get arrested many many times in my life already so today was a nice change of pace."

"Behave," Jo said with a smile as she ruffled the tall boy's hair.

"Well I'm Melanie Bush," the cheerful red head said. "The first part of my friendship with the Doctor was out of synch as he already knew me, but I didn't know him. I helped him solve a few problems on Earth before he dropped me off to meet and help his previous form. After that things sorted into a linear relationship. I traveled with the Doctor for some time before we met Ace on the Iceworld. I decided that Ace could keep an eye on him and left to explore with an alien named Glitz. The Doctor and I crossed paths in his next body, a rather dashing form actually, and he brought me back to Earth at my request. I took a computer programming job in California and while the heat can be a bit much I adore it. Ace tracked me down a few years ago and we've kept in touch ever since."

"I haven't been called Ace so much in years," the youngest of the companions said with a chuckle. "My name is Dorothy McShane and I was born in 1970 here in London, Perivale to be exact. When I was a teenager I got swept up in a time storm that dumped me a long way from Earth in the distant future. I got stuck working there without any way to get home until the Doctor and Mel showed up. I traveled with the Doctor for years… a long time all things considered. I traveled on my own in space for a while using a low power time hopper, that's a device that lets you move a short distance through the time space vortex, before deciding to come home. I contacted the Doctor and he brought me back to 1987 which was the right year for my age. UNIT helped me reestablish my identity. I tracked down Mel in 1988 and founded A Charitable Earth in 1990." Ace shrugged, "Not much else to tell, I live in New York City and love that city. I don't come to London much."

Ace turned to Rose and raised her eyebrow. Smiling, Rose shrugged and gave a little wave even as she leaned against the living room wall. "I'm Rose Tyler. I live just down the street from Sarah Jane and I'm a student at Cambridge University. Ian is actually my advisor at school." Rose paused and glanced at Sharon and Shireen out of the corner of her eye. "I met the Doctor for the first time when I was eleven. I met him again when I was fourteen, then when I was sixteen, seventeen and several times this year at the age of eighteen, and I expect nineteen to be busy as well."

"You're joking," Polly gasped with wide eyes. "Seriously?"

"Yes," Rose said with a nod before she summoned her sword forth. "I deal with aliens and alien technology quite a bit."

"I knew you'd have good stories," Ace said with a wide grin. "I want to hear about that sword first. You nailed that Shansheeth."

"Let's finish the introductions first," Mel interrupted and she turned to Clyde and Rani. "You are?"

"I'm Clyde Langer," the preteen said with a shrug. "I live around the corner, I found out about aliens a few months back when the Bane tried to invade. I'm a friend of Luke's."

"I'm Rani Chandra," Rani said with a nervous nod. "Same thing really as Clyde, found out about aliens and it was too interesting to just forget about."

"I'm Sharon Allen, I've known Rose since we were very young through school. When I was eleven I was abducted by an alien that was known on Earth as the Pied Piper and at the age of fourteen I was stuck in a painting." Sharon smirked at the expressions she received. "I didn't meet the Doctor for a few years, but I did know about him from Rose."

"I'm Shireen Bell and my story is very similar to Sharon expect she forgot to mention the alien ship we evacuated the students and staff of Horath Academy out of when we were sixteen while Rose saved the universe."

"I'm going to kill you both," Rose muttered in a low voice.

"I can see the reason for your nickname," Victoria said kindly even if she looked a little pale. She turned her attention to Sarah Jane, "I take it you know about these incidents."

"Yes I do," Sarah Jane said with a smile.

"The Durmion coup story is the best," Clyde said. "That's when she got her sword."

A knock on the door drew everyone's attention. Sarah Jane, Johnny and Luke collected the pizza and spread out food and beverages on the dining room table for everyone while Clyde and Rani called their parents for permission to stay later. Rose smirked when they both gave the excuse of revising with Luke. The companions drifted into small groups, sharing stories of the same Doctor or finding out what happened after they left. Jo informed the Jacksons and the Chestertons of the Doctor being exiled by the Time Lords to Earth. Sharon was walking around with a small notebook, recording the timeline of the Doctor's regenerations and descriptions. Rose shook her head and took a bite of her pizza before she sat down on the sofa in the living room to enjoy her dinner, finally. A few moments later, Ace sat down across from her and smirked as she dug into her shoulder bag and pulled out a flask of… something.

"So Rose, you and me are in the same boat."

"You mean growing up with the existence of the Doctor," Rose said. "I suppose so. I can't imagine waking up one day on another planet and in another time."

"I freaked out, yeah," Ace said with a nod. "But the need to survive kicked in fast and I found a job. I had to otherwise, everything would have been even worse."

"You didn't miss Earth?" Rose asked.

"My mother and I didn't get along," Ace said. "School was boring and I had only a few friends. Nothing was really worth missing in some ways," Ace admitted. "That seems different for you."

"My mum doesn't know," Rose confessed. "I just don't know how she'd take it and I don't want to scare her. My life is a lot better because of aliens," Rose said seriously. "My dad died when I was a baby and that left my Mum raising me alone on a hairdresser's salary. I gained focus after my first encounter with aliens and now I'm a student at Cambridge so I'm not going to complain."

"So Sarah Jane says you're a friend of the Doctor's, but you don't travel with him. Why is that?" 

Rose dug out her TARDIS out and held it up on the chain before letting it fall against her chest. "I'm going to travel with him once I finish school," Rose said. "The Doctor, in his ninth form, asked me to come with him and I made the condition that I'd leave only after I was done with school."

"Most people wouldn't count on a second chance," Ace commented.

"I see him a lot," Rose said with a shrug. "It is completely insane really. I know three different incarnations of him well and I've met his original form."

Ace got a strange and worried look on her face. "Rose….do you know why?" Ace asked quietly after taking a long drink of whatever she had in her flask.

"What do you mean?"

"My meeting with the Doctor, that time storm, and many other things were manipulated," Ace said softly. "It wasn't a good thing either."

Rose nodded in understanding. "I understand," Rose said softly.

Ace gave her a long look before asking, "Are you okay with that?"

"Not really," Rose admitted. "I don't get to know why just yet…. but the ones manipulating me really do seem to worry about my health and even my happiness to a certain point, well one of them at least."

"Does the Doctor know?" Ace asked.

"The first form I'll travel with doesn't know, but the later forms are aware of what's going on. It's actually why I see his later forms so much. The Doctor keeps an eye on it and makes sure that I'm kept safe even as events unfold."

Ace clearly wanted to say something, but settled on a simple shrug and muttered, "Just be careful."

Rose nodded firmly, just before Mel sat down next to Ace with a wide happy smile. "Why do you to look so serious?" Mel turned to Rose, "I want to hear about this alien that could trap people in paintings."

"I wanted to hear about the sword," Ace protested.

"Painting first," Mel said firmly. "Then you two can bond over your weapons." Mel paused, "Don't you dare teach her to make Nitro-9."

"I won't," Ace promised and when Mel nodded in satisfaction, Ace added, "I improved the Nitro-9 formula years back. Now it's Nitro-10."

Mel groaned and shook her head, "The Doctor is going to hate this."

"That was already guaranteed," Rose said with a smile. "Well let's see, the painting story is what you want to hear. In 2000, the Mona Lisa was on display at the National Gallery and at the same time one of my paintings had won a national competition and was on display there too."

"So?" Ace asked with a taunting raised eyebrow. "That's not very exciting." They were attracting the attention of other companions now. Sharon and Shireen rushed over and sat down on the sofa with Rose in order to watch everyone's reactions.

"Have you ever heard the legend of the Abomination?" Rose asked and she glanced around the room while Ian, Barbara and Sarah Jane smirked. "Well, the Abomination was painted by Giuseppe di Cattivo and he was a neighbor of Leonardo Da Vinci's in Florence." Rose paused and couldn't help but smirk. "Giuseppe di Cattivo was known as the painter of nightmares in Florence. His work was considered an insult to creation and the Abomination was his masterpiece. Looking upon it drove anyone into madness so he locked the painting in a special case to keep the Abomination from human eyes forever. The case was sealed with a complex Chinese puzzle lock. The next morning Giuseppe di Cattivo was found in his home beside the case, but he had gone completely insane and the secret of the puzzle was lost to his ravaged mind."

"And that's true?" Victoria asked nervously from a corner of the room with a glance at Tegan.

"Yes it is," Rose said with a nod. "Worse yet was the thing that not even Giuseppe himself knew. The paint he had used to paint his masterpiece had come from a meteorite with dangerous properties. It made the painting alive."

"What?" Tegan gasped, "But if that's true then…"

"Fortunately for the human race, Giuseppe gave some of these paints to Leonardo da Vinci who was painting the Mona Lisa at the time. This split the energy into two paintings and with Leonardo departing Florence they were separated for centuries. In 2000, the two painting were in the same place for the first time since they were created allowing the Mona Lisa to come alive."

"Oh," Mel cried from her seat next to Ace, "What was she like?" 

"Horrible," Rose admitted, "she was a living thing that couldn't move from that frame for centuries and had gone insane! She hated the world and the living in it so she sought to free the Abomination. Worse yet, the puzzle lock was also in the museum so all the Mona Lisa had to do was unlock the case holding the Abomination in the vaults of the museum."

"But surely the guards would have stopped her," Ace argued.

"I'm sure they would have tried," Rose replied, "But the Mona Lisa sealed them into paintings and brought other paintings alive to serve her. The Doctor arrived to stop her."

"And he managed of course," Polly remarked with a smile.

"Nope, sorry it wasn't the Doctor," Rose told her with a grin. "The Mona Lisa got the puzzle box and unlocked the Abomination after bringing all of the museum to life to destroy the curator, the Doctor and me." Rose grinned at their attention. "So there we were trapped in the side gallery room where my painting was hanging as painted figures were breaking down the door and the Abomination was freed beneath us."

"So what happened?" Polly demanded impatiently.

"The Mona Lisa brought my painting to life," Rose replied. "I had painted a… well let's say I painted a goddess who proceeded to scare off all of the Mona Lisa's troops." Rose shook her head, "I didn't see the whole thing, but Lumen then confronted the Abomination and destroyed it, forcing the Mona Lisa and all of the other paintings back into their frames. She disappeared into her frame a moment later."

"Wait… the Doctor was saved by your painting," Ben said in a stunned voice. "Are you serious?" 

"Apparently my painting would act in defense of its creator against the Mona Lisa since I was there," Rose said with a smile. "The Doctor wasn't sure what would have happened if I hadn't been there."

Ace whistled and raised the glass to Rose, "I'm impressed, but I can top that!"

"Oh really?" Rose asked with a tilt of her head.

"Of course," Ace replied with a snort, "What do you want? Daleks? Cybermen? Nemesis?"

"No Daleks," Tegan said at the same moment that Victoria said, "No Cybermen!"

"Oh honestly," Jo interrupted, "Enough of these scary stories!" Jo grinned, "I've got a brilliant one that includes more than one incarnation of the Doctor."

Rose's jaw dropped along with several other's around the room. Ace turned to Rose and said, "I think Jo just won."

"Yeah," Rose weakly agreed, "Pity cause I've got some good time wimey stories."

"Later," Jo said as she sat in the armchair. "Well let's see, it all started with cosmic radiation research…"

Rose groaned as the alarm went off next to her head. She stuck her arm out to the right and paused when she failed to find her familiar alarm clock. Sitting up, Rose looked around the room and it finally sank in that she wasn't in Cambridge. Reaching to the left, Rose shut off her alarm and stretched. There was a note on her alarm clock and Rose picked it up with interest. It was a reminder that everyone was meeting this morning at Sarah Jane's to say goodbye. UNIT had arranged flights out for everyone back to their homes. Rose groaned and forced herself out of bed. She was being taken back to Cambridge today by a UNIT car with the Chestertons herself. Jackie had not been pleased with Rose's fast visit and had only been soothed by the reminder that she was going to return next weekend.

The morning went calmly with Rose joining her mother and Rita Anne for breakfast. Mickey called to check on her, having heard rumors at his local posting. Rose had finally assured him that she was fine and then of course Mickey asked what it was like to meet the Doctor's old girlfriends. Rose had been very tempted to just hang up on him, but resisted the urge and instead informed him that they'd be having a long talk when she was home next weekend. Mickey wisely quieted after that.

Rose walked over to Sarah Jane's house to see a pair of taxis pulling away from the curb. Her mind provided a vague memory of Tegan making hotel arrangements for everyone who wasn't local late last night. Rose quickly slipped into the house to find almost everyone already there. Jo Jones was moving around and hugging everyone while Sarah Jane snapped photos and took down contact information. Rose smiled at the sight and pulled out her phone. Hanging by the door, Rose recorded a few minutes of video of the companions talking happily together. Someday she'd give it to the Doctor.

"What are you doing?" Ace's voice asked from behind her. Rose turned to see Ace standing in the door of the downstairs toilet. She walked over behind Rose and noted the footage. "For you or him?"

"For him," Rose said before snapping the camera shut. "He hasn't had an easy time lately."

"Worse than usual?" Ace asked.

"Much worse," Rose said with a serious expression. "Not really my place to say, maybe someday."

Ace nodded and looked down at her watch. "The taxis we hired for the airport will be here in an hour."

"So?" Rose asked.

"We could do something a bit more impressive than that." Ace paused, "If you could take a message to him from me, I know I'd appreciate that." Ace sighed, "We didn't part on very good terms so I never said thank you to him and yesterday I couldn't talk with him very long." Ace didn't wait for Rose to respond. "Sarah Jane, have you got a camera for your computer?!"

Sarah Jane blinked at the sudden question and nodded. "Yes, my laptop is upstairs and has a camera."

"Brilliant," Ace said. Noticing that all the other companions were looking at her with confused looks she grinned. "I'm going to record a message for the Doctor and give it to Rose." Ace glanced back at Rose, "I figure if she really is that jeopardy friendly then she'll see him soon enough."

The sudden looks of interest that appeared on everyone's faces reminded Rose of the fact that the Doctor went from being a huge part of their lives to just vanishing.

"We'd better hurry then," Sarah Jane said. "The files can just be put on a drive until Rose runs into the Doctor again." Sarah Jane paused and turned to Rose, "Does that work for you?" 

"Yes," Rose said with a nod. "I know just which Doctor to give the messages to." Rose straightened, "I'll go and get my computer so we don't have to rush too much."

"We can use mine too," Luke offered with a glance at his mother.

The three computers were set up throughout the house and everyone, one by one recorded their messages for the Doctor in privacy. No one asked what they said and the files were stored so that Rose could retrieve them later. The mood turned once again as people seemed to finally say something they needed to say and rejoined the group. Sarah Jane, Barbara and Luke quickly sent text messages with everyone's phone numbers to the whole group. Rose smiled as she created a new list called "Companions Club" before the honk of a taxi drew her attention.

"Well," Jo said as she stood up, "Time to go." Jo stepped forward and hugged Sarah Jane. "I expect an invitation to the wedding."

"You'll have one," Sarah Jane promised. "The guest list just greatly increased this weekend."

Rose started grabbing everyone's bags along with Luke and Santiago, taking them out to the three taxis that were waiting. Jo walked outside first and called Rose over.

"You are gorgeous and so brilliant," the older woman said warmly before hugging her. "Don't forget to have some fun occasionally. Normal nineteen year old fun and I need to send my eldest grandson's number to you, he's about your age."

Rose laughed and shook her head at Jo while Santiago laughed. Tegan followed a moment later and hugged Rose gently. "Thank you for the message idea."

"It was more Ace," Rose admitted.

"Still," Tegan said thickly, "There were things that I needed to say, but yesterday… after thinking he was dead I just couldn't form the words." Rose's worry must have shown on her face. "Nothing bad," Tegan promised. "In the end I suppose I just needed to say that it wasn't his fault and knew he always did everything he could."

Rose nodded and squeezed Tegan's hand before the woman moved over to speak with Luke and Santiago. Victoria hugged Rose and thanked her also for taking their messages to the Doctor. The goodbyes continued with hugs and promises to stay in touch. Ace stepped up next to Rose.

"You should come and visit me in New York this summer," Ace said with a smile.

"Really?" Rose asked surprised.

"Sure," Ace told her with a smile. "Once Sarah Jane's wedding is over of course. I've got this great apartment and you're always welcome. I think you'd love New York."

"Well it does have some great museums," Rose said with a smile.

"I wonder about you kid," Ace replied with a shake of her head before hugging her. "Be careful," Ace whispered into her ear. "Stay safe."

"I will," Rose promised softly before Ace stepped back. The woman nodded and slipped into the taxi with Jo, Santiago and Tegan. Rose, Sarah Jane, Luke and the Chestertons all waved as the taxi's pulled away from the curb. Taking a deep breath, Ian turned to Rose.

"Well we should be leaving soon too. You've got a report to do for the general."

"I hate you so much right now," Rose muttered with a dramatic sigh.

Ian chuckled, but his eyes were focused on Rose. "Rose," he started to say, "The Doctor… is everything … are you?" 

"What Ian?" Rose asked, trying to hide her nervousness.

"Nothing," Ian said a moment later, shaking his head. "Never mind, it's silly."

Rose nodded and glanced back down the street after the taxis, "It was great to meet all of them."

"Yeah," Ian said with a smile. "Now we can arrange annual reunions."

"Companion conventions," Rose suggested with a laugh. "Way too much alcohol, sharing stories and setting up descendants."

"The first two I get, but the last one…"

"Jo suggested I meet her eldest grandson," Rose said with a laugh.

"Barbara would like that," Ian agreed. "She wonders about you being nineteen and never dating."

"I go on dates," Rose objected before she caught herself. "They just don't amount to anything."

"I see," Ian said, he seemed more relaxed now. "It will happen, don't worry."

"I'm doing a double degree, working as a consultant for UNIT and I'm going to travel through time and space. Boys are not on my agenda right now," Rose told Ian as they stepped into the house. "I think this whole Companions Convention idea needs further discussion."

"The Doctor would hate that," Ian reminded her as they joined the others in the kitchen.

"I don't think he really would," Rose said. "He'd whine about it, but I think he'd be glad that all of you can look back on that time as something worth sharing and remembering."

Ian gave Rose another long look before he nodded, "After seeing him again after all these years, I think you're right."


	46. Death of the Doctor: The Great Garden

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Forty-Six: The Great Garden

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: This is finally the last chapter of the Death of the Doctor! Many of you are surprised that no companions are aware of the Rose/Doctor relationship, but those of you who watch Classic Doctor Who know that romance wasn't an aspect of the Doctor then so I figure his old companions just wouldn't associate the Doctor with Rose in a romantic way, at least not yet.

It was Wednesday night, 27 April 2005, the night of Rose's nineteenth birthday. Rose's day had been absolute torture as she couldn't focus on anything but seeing the Doctor tonight. To keep herself busy around her two classes of the day, Rose had forced herself to complete her report for the General, carefully editing a few aspects of it of course. She had carefully noted that the version of the Doctor involved came from further down his time line and thus the event should not be mentioned without him first bringing up the subject, just to be sure.

Once that was done, Rose had completed the outline for her final paper in Ian's class and gotten started on the necessary equations before giving up in her inability to focus. Rose had changed clothes three times before settling on a simple outfit that wouldn't give her any trouble if she and Doctor ran into trouble. She wore a pair of dark jeans and a simple, but attractive red top that Shireen had suggested. Her hair was loosely curled with the front stands tied back from her face. Rose was even wearing a tiny bit of makeup, something she rarely bothered with.

Sighing, Rose tapped her fingers on her desk, wishing the Doctor had given her a better time estimate for his arrival. She supposed it wasn't something he normally had to worry about and the TARDIS rarely landed on the time he wanted it to anyway. Rose leaned on her hand while she checked her emails and responded to one from Tegan. She and the other companions had kept in contact, sending stories to each other and when convenient in their various time zones speaking together via webcam. Sarah Jane had sent Rose a few pictures of possible bridesmaid dresses and Rose had to admit that the dresses so far weren't too bad. Once school was out in a few weeks she'd be really joining in for the final stretch to the wedding.

A sudden wind in the apartment made Rose jump out of her seat with a smile. She had already weighted down all of her papers throughout the apartment, well aware of the effect the TARDIS had. A moment later the beautiful machine materialized in the middle of her living room. The door swung open a few seconds later and the brown eyed Doctor stepped out with a huge smile.

"Happy birthday," the Doctor told Rose before he swept her up in a tight hug.

"Hello Doctor," Rose said happily, returning the fierce hug. "It's wonderful to see you." Rose's throat tightened slightly as her mind pushed forth her horrible memories of thinking he was dead. Rose pulled back from the Doctor just enough to look up at him with a smile. "It's really wonderful to see you."

The Doctor blinked at Rose, slight confusion and surprise on his face at her demeanor. Using her right hand, Rose grabbed the Doctor's head and pulled him down into a kiss, running her fingers through his unruly hair. The smile on her face melted away as the Doctor pulled her closer and cradled her head gently while returning the kiss forcefully. Time slowed or sped up as they kissed; Rose was never quite sure, until the Doctor gently nipped at her bottom lip before releasing her mouth.

Taking a long breath, Rose kept her eyes closed for a moment before she opened them once again. The Doctor was watching her with a mixture of happiness and nervousness, his hair wonderfully ruffled. Rose slid her fingers out of his hair and rested her hand on his shoulder, leaving her other hand on his chest where she could feel the faint thumping of his dual hearts. Leaning up, Rose kissed the Doctor softly on the corner of his mouth before leaning back to meet his eyes directly.

"I love you," Rose said softly, but clearly as she kept her gaze focused on him.

The Doctor's eyes widened for a moment, bright with emotion before his expression settled into a wide happy grin. Leaning forward, the Doctor met Rose's lips in another deep kiss. It wasn't soft or subtle, but awash in emotion and passion. The Doctor released Rose's mouth and she took a long shaky breath while the Doctor pressed kisses to her cheeks, jaw, and eyelids. He slowly calmed and the light brushes of his lips to her skin slowed until the Doctor brushed one more kiss to her lips and leaned back. Forcing her eyes open, Rose looked up at the Doctor. The Doctor had a warm easy smile on his face. The sight of such a peaceful, happy expression made Rose smile widely in return.

"Rose Tyler, I love you," the Doctor said easily after a moment. "So much."

Rose smiled as he leaned down to kiss her again and melted against him as the Doctor kissed her deeply. His left arm was tight around her and his left hand brushed softly at the sliver of skin at her hip over her jeans. Rose's head felt light and she contented herself with running the fingers of her right hand through the Doctor's hair and holding onto him with her left hand. When the Doctor released her mouth, Rose whimpered in protest and nearly growled when the Doctor simply chuckled at her reaction.

"Trip in the TARDIS remember," the Doctor said happily before stepping back. "Birthday girl and all that!" He held out his hand to her and wiggled his fingers.

Shaking her head, Rose couldn't hide her smile as she accepted his hand and allowed him to lead her into the TARDIS. Rose hung back and stayed at the railing while the Doctor began to almost dance around the controls, spinning knobs and pulling levers. The TARDIS shifted and shook as they dematerialized and Rose clutched the rails to remain steady. When the TARDIS stilled, Rose looked back to the Doctor who had a wide and happy smile on his face.

Smiling, Rose glanced between the door and the Doctor. "Where are we?" Her voice was thick with excitement and her face actually hurt from smiling so hard.

The Doctor merely smiled and gestured grandly towards the door. "Take a look."

Rose moved to the doors of the TARDIS quickly and gently opened the right door. She peeked outside and paused as a lush garden filled her view. Tall palm trees cast a long shadow over the TARDIS and the air was thick with the perfume of flowers. Stepping outside, Rose turned slowly around to take in the rows of trees, some heavy with fruit, and large beds of flowering plants. Moving a bit further from the TARDIS, Rose spotted a stone railing and moved towards it. She gasped as she reached the edge of what was actually a huge terrace and looked down to see another lush garden and a city sprawled beneath her.

"Welcome to the Hanging Gardens, a wonder of the Ancient World," the Doctor said from behind her.

"This is Babylon?" Rose gasped as she looked out over the city.

"No," the Doctor said as he joined her at the terrace edge and slipped his hand into hers. "This is the city of Nineveh, the capitol of the Assyrian Empire in the year 690 B.C.E. under the rule of Sennacherib and the real home of the legendary hanging gardens." The Doctor paused. "Of course, they don't really hang from anything. The name 'hanging' comes from the Greek word 'kremastos' or the Latin word 'pensilis', which actually mean 'overhanging' rather than 'hanging'. We're actually on a ziggurat building with large terraces."

"So the archaeologists and historians have had it wrong for years?" Rose asked as she slowly looked around at the magnificent view. She was torn between looking at the gardens and the strange flowers, many of which she had never seen, or looking out at the strange city before her.

"I'm a time traveler, Rose," the Doctor said with a slightly offended tone, "I point and laugh at archaeologists."

Rose turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "So are you the one running around and tossing strange things into burial pits to confuse the archaeologists and history professors like Barbara?" 

The Doctor got a very odd look on his face and quickly grabbed Rose's hand to pull her along the terrace, further away from the TARDIS. He stopped when they were facing another direction with a large river in view. "Look, you can see the Tigris River from this angle," the Doctor said quickly. "This was the main source of water for the city and aqueducts bring up water to the garden from it."

"That's a yes then," Rose muttered softly before turning her attention completely to the pleased ramblings of the Doctor as he explained the irrigation system and how the two Mesopotamian cities had gotten so confused. He led her down a little further and pointed out a long series of spinning tubes that linked pools of water, drawing it up towards the upper levels of the garden.

"The aqueducts only go to the midlevel," the Doctor explained. "The water is raised through a series of screw pumps meter by meter into slightly higher pools. They lift 37,000 liters of water a day to water the higher levels of the garden."

"So they're using an Archimedes screw system?" Rose asked with a slight frown as she looked down at the large turning cylinders connecting the vats of water.

"Yes, except Archimedes won't be born for another four hundred years," the Doctor said with a pleased smile. He tugged on Rose's hand and pointed at a large tree near them. "See the helix screw pattern of that tree's trunk?"

"Yes," Rose said with a nod before she glanced between the water system and the large tree. "So you're saying that the Mesopotamians figured out the screw long before the Greeks or Egyptians."

"Sennacherib is a brilliant man," the Doctor said seriously. "He may be a king, but his real talent is as an engineer. He created all kinds of techniques for crafting and construction." The Doctor shrugged, "Of course, archaeologists are still arguing over this. Cuneiform is a difficult language to translate, unlike ancient Greek or Latin. It's one of the reasons the Greeks get credit for everything; people can actually read their records and understand what is being said."

"Well then, I'm even more impressed," Rose said as she turned to slowly take in the garden. "Not a bad date choice Doctor," Rose said in a teasing tone, "Science and beauty together."

The Doctor stepped up behind Rose and wrapped his arms around her while they stood looking out over the lower terraces of the garden. Around them, the thick scent of the flowers and plants swirled on a light wind and the leaves swayed gently. Lifting her eyes slightly, Rose looked out at the Tigris River with the farms spread around it, but at this height she could see even further where the lush green landscape changed into harsh desert.

"I can see why this became a legend," Rose said with a sigh. "It's like a mountain of life on the edge of the desert."

"Humans," the Doctor said gently in her ear, "The things you can achieve."

"Is that why we're your favorites?" Rose questioned in a soft voice.

"One of them," the Doctor said. "The real reason is your potential. No other species is capable of both such goodness, yet such evil at the same time as humans." He brushed a kiss to the side of Rose's neck. "And even in the face of how evil you can be, you never give up on the good and you never stop caring."

Not knowing what to say, Rose didn't respond and instead pulled away from the Doctor a bit and took his hand. "Come on, I'd like to see more."

"Alright," the Doctor replied with a grin as he tightened his grip on her fingers. "Whatever you want."

"Careful with those words Doctor," Rose said with a smile. "A girl could get greedy."

"Never you," the Doctor said warmly before he kissed her quickly. "You're not materialistic."

"Perhaps not," Rose agreed, "But I might ask you to take me on grand adventures and show me the universe."

The Doctor laughed and grinned down at Rose. "That works for me!"

They wandered the gardens with the Doctor pointed out the different kinds of plants, including a few varieties that were extinct in Rose's time. The entire time Rose could only vaguely hear sounds from the city below because the sound of water was a constant hum throughout the garden. A few gardeners were in the area, but at the sight of them they simply lowered their eyes and returned to their work.

"Slaves," the Doctor said softly to Rose, "and servants look after the gardens. Sennacherib isn't actually here right now."

"Who do they think we are?" Rose asked.

"Who knows," the Doctor said with a shrug. "I find people tend to assume you belong there if you act like you do." The Doctor paused and turned back to Rose, "How about dinner?"

Rose smiled and nodded before allowing the Doctor to lead her back to the TARDIS. To her surprise, their trek to the kitchen was only to grab a basket of food before promptly returning outside.

"A picnic," Rose said happily as she sat down in front of the TARDIS with the Doctor. "I'll admit that I'm surprised."

"Then my brilliant plan worked," the Doctor said cheerfully before he pulled out a bag. "Chips?"

Rose grinned and snatched a few of the hot chips from the bag, not bothering to ask how they stayed warm. "You know me too well."

"Rose Tyler," the Doctor said, "Birthday April 27the, greatest weaknesses chips and milkshakes." He grinned, "Ticklish on her ribs and inner thigh." Rose flushed and mock glared at the Doctor before she nibbled on one of the chips. Her expression brightened immediately and the Doctor laughed. "Point proven."

Rose rolled her eyes and pretended to be displeased until the Doctor shifted so he was behind her. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled Rose back so she was leaning against his chest. Sighing, Rose gave up the pretense and slowly ate her chips and sandwich while taking in the splendid sight around her.

"Happy birthday," the Doctor said before pressing a kiss to Rose's cheek.

"Thank you," Rose said sincerely. "You're not half bad at this boyfriend thing."

"It's been a learning curve," the Doctor confessed.

"I can imagine," Rose said with a slight laugh. "I suppose I'll hold on to the knowledge that you'll get there in the end to stay sane and not force regeneration myself."

"I'd appreciate that," the Doctor said. "I'm afraid I'm running a bit from you at this point in your timeline."

Rose stayed still in his arms, "What do you mean?" 

"Well, I did originally set the TARDIS to take me to the day after you finished school," the Doctor said. "But well… I was attracted and didn't like being attracted so I figured I'd give it some more time."

"Translation, I'm going to run into your Ninth body again soon," Rose observed calmly. After a pause, Rose added, "But you're still going to get me after I finish school, right?"

"By that point I won't be able to resist," the Doctor said. "You prove yourself to be far too interesting to not travel with." There was a hint of something else in his voice that made Rose tense slightly.

"And?"

"And you've made some enemies by then," the Doctor admitted. "I didn't feel right leaving you on Earth then. I was afraid you wouldn't be safe."

Rose had tensed up completely and turned enough to look up at the Doctor. "I know you can't tell me what, who, or when, but do I need to worry about Mum?"

"Jackie will be fine. They are never interested in her," the Doctor promised quickly, rubbing her arms to calm her. "I promise, and that's a ways off."

Rose bit her lip and tried to relax again. The Doctor continued to gently rub her arms and despite the information she found herself settling back onto his chest again. "Talk to me," Rose said gently.

"About what?" the Doctor asked.

"Anything," Rose said.

The Doctor was silent for a long moment before he started talking. "When I was young on Gallifrey at the Prydon Academy I got into all sorts of trouble. The Head of my House was always sending me messages to behave and apply myself, but I hated the constant bore of everything. The lessons were interesting, but there was no passion to any of them. I barely graduated from the Academy, but I finally did just enough work to get out of there." Rose didn't say anything. "The only bright point was that I wasn't alone in my dissent. I can't say they were all my age, but there were several other youths at school during the same period. All of us hated Gallifrey's society for one reason or another. Others referred to us as the Deca. We were either the top ranked students or ones who purposefully ignored our professors, but none of us acted like we were expected to."

"What happened after the Academy?" Rose asked when the Doctor's voice trailed off.

"Well, almost all of us left Gallifrey in one manner or another. The reason for our friendship on Gallifrey had been that we didn't agree with Gallifreyan society, but once we were out in the universe we all proved ourselves to be very different." The Doctor swallowed thickly, "You'll probably hear about the Master and the Rani soon enough from my old companions. They were the worst of the lot. The Rani, Ushas as she used to be known, had no morals at all, just horrid curiosity. She would experiment on entire species and destroy planets if it would answer one of her questions. The only kind of life she valued was other Gallifreyans even if she didn't like us."

"And the Master?" Rose questioned, "I've heard a bit about him before."

"We were best friends," the Doctor admitted. "Both of us were brilliant, but refused to do what everyone told us to on Gallifrey. I guess the best way to sum up the differences between us that emerged once we both left Gallifrey was that while I found joy in seeing worlds and helping them, he found joy in trying to reshape them to his will." The Doctor paused, "He was damaged in many ways."

"I'm sorry," Rose said gently, turning slightly so she could kiss his jaw softly.

"Oh don't be," the Doctor said with a forced smile. "At least I turned out semi-decent."

"You're the best person I know," Rose said firmly. "Not perfect, but at least you always try."

The Doctor kissed her head and tightened his arms around her, "So I've been told." Rose set down her food and raised her hands to rest them on his hands. They sat there for a long time until the Doctor eased his grip and dug into the basket. Rose sat up and turned in time to see the Doctor pull out a container holding a cupcake. The Doctor pushed a candle into the icing, ignoring Rose's giggles, and used the sonic to light it.

"Happy birthday," the Doctor said triumphantly at the wide grin on Rose's face. "Make a wish."

"Aren't you going to sing?" Rose asked with a cheeky smile.

"Believe me," the Doctor said seriously, "Neither of us wants that."

Laughing, Rose managed to take a quick breath and blew out the little candle. She lifted the cupcake out of the Doctor's hand and lightly licked at the frosting. Smirking, Rose scooped up a bit of the icing with a her free hand and held out her finger to the Doctor. He grinned and sucked the finger into his mouth, tasting the frosting.

"That's quite good," the Doctor said when he released the finger.

Rose nodded and unwrapped the rest of the treat. Holding it between them, the Doctor and Rose quickly polished it off. Once it was gone, Rose quickly crumbled the paper and tossed it back into the basket. She turned back to the Doctor and caught his lips in a deep kiss. She ran her fingers through his hair and shivered as one of the Doctor's hands slipped under the hem of her shirt. Pulling back, Rose took a deep breath of air before she slipped her hand into the Doctor's.

"I love you," Rose repeated with a smile. Her words were again rewarded with a wide grin. She glanced down at their finished dinner and started tidying it up. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"Ready to go already?" the Doctor asked with a tone of surprise.

Rose blushed slightly while she took his hand. "I think it's time we continued this at my place."

The Doctor stared at her for a moment while her meaning sunk in. Then he kissed her, quickly and highly controlled. "Anything you want," the Doctor said when he released her lips.

Rose just smiled and pulled the Doctor towards the TARDIS. A few moments later, a strange wheezing noise echoed through the Hanging Gardens of Nineveh before it faded away.


	47. Thane: Pharos Institute

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Forty-Seven: Pharos Institute

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: First chapter of episode ten! I'm so sorry this took a long time! I had the worst writer's block that I have had in years! It was actually painful to be so locked down in my own mind for so long. I almost decided to skip this episode completely. Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter and hopefully the worst is behind us. Thank you everyone who sent me messages to make sure I wasn't ill, that was really sweet and amusing.

It was late May in Cambridge and students were completely focused on finishing their papers, revising for exams, and generally trying to get ready for the end of the final term of the year. Rose Marion Tyler, aged nineteen, was no exception. In her apartment the glow of her laptop illuminated her face as she read through a document on her computer. Rose took a sip of her tea and made a note on the notebook in front of her, already filled with bullet points and random thoughts generated by her research.

The ringing of her mobile drew Rose's attention away from the screen and she blinked with slight disorientation. Her vision cleared and she leaned over to snap the phone from the edge of her desk. She paused when Malcolm's UNIT number appeared on the screen before bringing the phone up to her ear.

"Hello Malcolm," Rose greeted pleasantly before slipping into her room. "UNIT?"

"Exactly Rose," Malcolm said calmly.

"What's going on?" Rose questioned as she leaned back in her chair, her mind now focused on whatever UNIT's task was instead of her papers.

"I'm afraid that a situation is developing at the Pharos Institute," Malcolm said. "I suggested you to the General for the assignment."

"So I'm actually being called in?" Rose asked, a smile appearing on her face. "Normally I just stumble in."

"True," Malcolm replied with a warm chuckle. "You only have one class tomorrow, correct?"

"Yeah," Rose agreed, "Thursdays and Fridays are my light days. I'm not even going to ask how you know that."

"That's probably a wise choice," Malcolm said neutrally. "I need you to meet me in Harlow," Malcolm said. "This is very important. I can't say anything more on the phone."

Rose paused for a moment, "And you think it is our sort of situation?"

"Yes, but there have been some complications, which is why the General needs you with us."

"Alright then," Rose said before turning her laptop and pulling up a map online. "Send me the meeting point; I can be there at noon."

"Right then, I will see you tomorrow. You'll be posing as a research assistant so wear something professional," Malcolm said before he hung up.

Rose set the phone to the side and frowned, "That was odd." She glanced back over at her school books before shaking her head. Closing the document, Rose turned on her computer camera and dialed the connection to Mister Spock.

"Rose," Mister Spock calmly answered as an image of his screen appeared on Rose's machine. "This is a pleasant surprise. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Spock," Rose replied with a warm tone. "I just got a call in from UNIT about a possible problem at the Pharos Institute and I'd like some information."

"UNIT has not provided you with information?"

"Malcolm didn't go into detail," Rose remarked with a shrug. "I'm meeting him tomorrow for details, but I figured a little preparation couldn't hurt. Willing to give me a hand?"

"Of course Rose," Mister Spock said. "Shall I call Sarah Jane?"

Rose glanced down at her watch, it was already past eight. "No, I don't think so." Rose paused, "I don't want to aggravate UNIT too much, but retain the information for her just in case."

"Very well," Mister Spock replied calmly. "The Pharos Institute is a scientific organization located outside of London near the town of Harlow. They experiment with the latest advancements in technology and are funded by their own inventions and private donations, keeping them from falling under direct government supervision. The current Head of the Pharos Institute is Professor Celeste Rivers."

"What kind of research do they do?" Rose questioned as she leaned back in her chair.

"The Pharos Institute has produced many technological advancements in medicine and computer technology, but some aspects of their work are classified as 'fringe science' leading to the Pharos Institute having an interesting reputation."

"Fringe science," Rose said with a slow growing smile, "Well, maybe this will be interesting after all. Any indicators of what might have UNIT so interested?"

"I am searching the files on Pharos' current projects and only one shows any indications of being potentially dangerous or alien technology." Rose leaned back in the chair to wait, but it was only a moment more before Mister Spock pulled up a file. "Two months ago a young doctor from Canada joined the Pharos Institute. He has made extreme strides in nanotechnology within the Pharos Institute."

"What's so strange about nanotechnology?" Rose questioned. "That is mainstream research science."

"His reports are claiming that he can control the nanotechnology bots with his mind through a telepathic interface."

Rose leaned forward with a smirk and a spark in her eye. "Really? Now that is a leap forward in technology that would catch Malcolm's attention." Rose paused, "I'm not even sure that Tosh could pull that off."

"Indeed," Mister Spock replied before bringing up an image of a man in his early thirties with dark hair and eyes. "This is Theodore Elden, the man responsible for the new technology."

"What is his history?"

"Limited information is available to me. According to the records he did much of his education through mail and online courses. He isn't well known and only moved to England four months ago and began work at the Pharos Institute three months ago."

"Short time to have produced something like this," Rose said thoughtfully. "I haven't heard anything about this technology yet."

"There have been no press releases or statements made thus far," Spock replied before pulling up another screen. "I am unsure of how UNIT acquired this information."

"Well, I'll have to ask tomorrow," Rose said with a smile. "Alright then Spock, keep an eye on things and send me any additional information you find."

"I shall Rose, do be careful."

"I'm prepared," Rose remarked with a smile as she held up her sonic pen.

If Mister Spock wasn't a machine, Rose would have sworn that she heard the Xylok sigh before the connection was cut off. Rose touched her sonic pen to her lip thoughtfully before she stood from the desk and went to her room to find something to wear for this new assignment.

Friday was warm and clear as Rose parked her jeep in front of the warehouse that UNIT had called her to. She was wearing slacks with a professional blue shirt and a suit vest. She had pulled her hair back into a long braid. Rose stepped out into the street and nodded to the UNIT men in street clothes who were keeping watch on the area. One of the men directed Rose to a side door. A single man was leaning against the wall by the door. He straightened up as Rose approached and nodded before opening the door.

Inside the building, everything was completely different with everyone in uniform around televisions, computers, and other surveillance gear. It took Rose only a moment to find Malcolm's white lab coat in the sea of military green and UNIT red caps. Toshiko was standing with him, nervously shifting on her feet and dressed professionally in a suit like Rose.

"Hello Tosh," Rose greeted warmly as she reached them.

Toshiko turned to Rose and her posture relaxed before she hugged Rose tightly. "I'm glad you're here," Tosh said softly.

Malcolm had a soft smile when Tosh released Rose. "Hi Malcolm," Rose greeted. "You look worried."

"Well, you might be too in a moment," Malcolm said. "Colonel Benton is coming over."

Rose turned to see Colonel Benton walking towards them. He was speaking with a captain walking alongside of him and nodded in response to something the man said. The Colonel then turned his attention towards the trio and a tiny smile tugged at his lips.

"Hello Miss Tyler," Benton greeted professionally before looking at Malcolm. "Please begin Doctor Taylor."

"Of course sir," Malcolm replied with a nod. He turned and picked up a small remote that he then pointed towards the television. An image of an elegant old gothic manor appeared on the screen. "This is the headquarters of the Pharos Institute, located five miles from here. The Pharos Institute has an interesting reputation due to their legitimate and successful contributions to science, but in the past they have also funded unusual projects."

"Are we here about the telepathic interface for controlling the nanobots?" Rose interrupted.

Toshiko hid a smile behind her hand and Malcolm couldn't contain his snort. Colonel Benton sighed and turned to Rose, "Miss Tyler I believe that the General has talked to you about hacking into UNIT for your own entertainment."

"And I will once again provide information on the weaknesses in your security system," Rose said with a shrug. "But that's why we're here isn't it?"

"Correct," Malcolm said, recovering his calm. "This technology was created by an unknown scientist, a former hermit of sorts, so we don't have much information on him. The only known photo of him is from the Pharos Institute."

"The theory is that the technology is alien and dangerous," Toshiko added. "The patent information is complete revolutionary, but it was created so quickly."

"Normally we wouldn't launch an investigation of this size just on that," the Colonel told Rose, "But in the last week the UNIT system was breached completely three times and all files on our military staff and science staff were scanned. The only personnel files that weren't taken were special cases like Toshiko and yourself."

"A bug in the security system that I was trying to fix accidently protected those files," Malcolm added. "The Bad Wolf bug," he muttered shaking his head. "So the only UNIT employees whoever is doing this doesn't know about are you and Toshiko.

"Why do you think that the Pharos Institute is the source?" Rose asked.

"The signal originated from their building and the breaches all occurred at the same time as testing of the telepathic interface," Malcolm said tensely. "Whatever that thing is, it doesn't just work as a remote control for the nanobots, but can control other kinds of technology as well."

"Anything with an advance cybernet system," Toshiko added. "We shut down part of the UNIT system two days ago, kept the records of our suspicions off the system, and there is no record electronically of today's job." 

"Which is way you didn't want to talk on the phone," Rose observed with a frown.

"We don't know the limits of this," Benton said. "But if it is alien, then some alien has full access to every computer on Earth, including all of Earth's defenses."

"Right," Rose said. "So I take it the plan is for Tosh and I to go in and retrieve this thing."

"Just take a look today," Benton said. "If you conclude that there is a threat then we can seize all technology inside of Pharos. Try to avoid trouble." Benton opened a folder and handed Rose an id card. "Toshiko has been doing private consulting for the last year and you are her research assistant."

"Marion Thorn?" Rose asked with a raised eyebrow. "Let me guess, this was the General's idea."

"He wanted me to remind you to be careful," Benton said. "And also that you might want to turn off whatever computer you keep using to hack into UNIT." 

Rose flushed slightly as Toshiko gave her a questioning look. "How much does he know?" Rose asked Benton.

"I think he has a few suspicions," Benton replied with a smirk. "After all, we never did find any Xylok remains in Gordon's lab."

"Ah," Rose said simply, pinning on the ID card. "Marion, I can remember that."

"Good," Benton said before turning to Toshiko. "Remember, Professor Rivers is going to show you the facilities that you'll be working in so ask plenty of questions and keep your eyes open. We can be there in three minutes." The Colonel handed each of them small pagers. "Press the red button if you need us. I'm afraid that anything more advanced would be detected."

"Yes sir," Toshiko said with a nod, but her eyes betrayed her worry.

"I'll be with you," Rose said softly. "I'm good at this kind of thing."

"Try to keep this from turning into a full scale incident," Benton reminded Rose firmly.

"I make no promises," Rose said, "But I'll do my best to make sure nothing happens."

"I suppose that's all I can ask," Benton replied, "Good luck both of you and stay safe."

Rose let Toshiko climb in behind the wheel of the black car UNIT had provided them. "I haven't driven in while," Toshiko said with a smile as she started the car. "UNIT drives me everywhere."

"Must be nice to be trusted for this assignment," Rose said as they pulled out of the warehouse and onto the side street.

"They didn't have many options. Malcolm suggested you, but you're too young to be seeking a position at Pharos. I do at least have a real history." 

"Did they try to recruit you before… you know?" 

"Yes, they did," Toshiko said. "But I took a job offered to me by the government instead." Tosh sighed a little, "I wonder what would have happened if I'd taken the job at Pharos."

Rose didn't know what to say so instead she pulled out her cell phone and hit the speed dial for Spock. She glanced at Toshiko out of the corner of her eye, but decided not to worry about if UNIT was listening or not. "Hi Spock, that telepathic interface you told me about last night may be more dangerous than we thought. I need you to focus on protecting yourself today. You might even want to shut down." When Rose hung up the phone, Tosh was glancing over at her. "What?"

"Spock?" Toshiko asked. "You named a computer Spock?"

"Of course not," Rose muttered. "He named himself Spock."

Toshiko laughed and shook her head. "No wonder the UNIT boys like to talk about you so much."

"How bad is it really?" Rose asked. "Mickey likes to joke…"

"Oh every time there is a new incident you are the point of conversation."

"Lovely," Rose sighed as the Pharos Institute gate came into view. "At least they're not gossiping about the Doctor and me anymore." 

"I didn't say that," Tosh said with a smile. She pulled up next to the gate and presented the guard with her identification card. "This is my research assistant, I cleared it with Professor Rivers."

The guard nodded and opened the gate. Rose leaned forward to take in the large gothic building. She knew that the outside was the only old fashioned thing about the place. A tall woman of African descent was waiting on the front stairs for them. Her hair was pulled back in a bun and she was wearing a white lab coat. She smiled widely as Tosh parked the car and they climbed out.

"Doctor Sato, how lovely to see you again," the woman greeted.

"It is good to see you again as well Professor Rivers," Tosh greeted. "This is Marion Thorn."

"Pleasure to meet you," the Professor greeted. "I'm glad you're reconsidering our offer to join us Doctor Sato. I think you will be very pleased with our advancements in the last five years." Professor Rivers said as she led them into the foyer.

"I'm looking forward to seeing everything," Tosh agreed.

Professor Rivers nodded and picked up a folder from the counter. "I just need you to sign the confidentiality agreements. No speaking about anything you see here today with the press. Many of our endeavors are still in development and are not ready for release yet."

"Certainly Professor Rivers," Tosh agreed as she glanced over the short agreement before signing it. Rose took her own form and signed it carefully with her alias.

"Almost everyone is here today," Professor Rivers said as she handed the forms to the receptionist. "So I can introduce you to the other scientists on staff." Professor Rivers looked at Rose, "And if Doctor Sato does join us here, well you be coming with her?" 

"I hope so," Toshiko said quickly. "Of course, that depends on space and resource restrictions, but Marion has been very valuable to me in the past year."

"I have no problems with her joining you," Professor Rivers said. "Many of our scientists maintain assistants." Professor Rivers glanced down at her watch. "Well, we should get started, please follow me."

The tour was fascinating to Rose and she wondered if the Pharos building might not be a little transdimensional. Large labs and offices filled the space around common work areas and conference rooms. There seemed to be no end to the rooms with experiments, brainstorming sessions going on, and offices. Rose admired the celestial object research lab where a meteor was being examined while Toshiko nearly drooled over the experimental information processing systems that were being installed in another lab. Finally, they reached another section with a sign announcing: Nanotechnology.

"I think you'll really enjoy this section. Our newest star works here." Professor Rivers pushed open the door and led them into a large open space with several work tables. A large desk sat at the other end of the room in front of a series of computers and monitors mounted to the wall. A young man with dark brown hair and brown eyes wearing a lab coat looked up as they entered the room.

"Doctor Sato, Miss Thorn," Professor Rivers said cheerfully, "This is Doctor Theodore Elden." Elden stood up and moved around his desk to greet them.

"Pleasure Miss Thorn," the young doctor said warmly as he shook Rose's hand. Turning to Tosh, he shook her hand, "Welcome to Pharos Doctor Sato. The Professor tells me that you're considering joining us."

"Nice to meet you Doctor Elden,"Toshiko said with a touch of nervousness. "You certainly have an impressive facility here and the work being done is incredible."

"Due in no small part to Doctor Elden joining us," Professor Rivers added.

"Team effort," Elden replied with a smile. "A scientist is only as good as the equipment and help he has."

Doctor Elden chatted with Tosh and Professor Rivers for a few more minutes before he returned to his work. Professor Rivers led Tosh towards another office and Rose was about to follow when Elden suddenly turned back to her.

"Where have I seen you before?" He asked calmly as he leaned against the wall. The look on his face was curious as he glanced up and down at Rose.

"I can't recall ever meeting you?" Rose replied with a shrug.

"My mistake then," Elden said with a shake of his head. He glanced out the door and then back at Rose. "So if you could work on anything what would it be?"

"Uh…I'm not completely sure," Rose admitted. She hadn't given it too much thought given she was going to travel with the Doctor through time. She smirked, "Maybe the theoretical mechanics of time travel."

Elden chuckled before he said, "I started my work on Earth with wormholes."

Rose blinked at the odd word choice. "Wormholes… really?"

"Yes," Elden said with a shrug before he smiled. "Now I know where I'd seen you before. It was in Croydon.

Rose blinked in surprise before she replied. "I don't go to Croydon much, wrong part of London for me."

"It was definitely you," Elden said with a firm nod. "Four months ago in fact, I'm certain of it."

"You must be mistaken," Rose said with a shake of her head. "I've only been in Croydon once.." Rose trailed off as the events of that visit replayed in her mind. She tensed slightly and dropped her right arm into a more comfortable position.

"Four months ago," Elden responded with a nod. "Right in the middle of that little crisis." He stood up and took a step towards Rose, "I wanted to ask you, what did you see in the portal?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Rose insisted even as she took a small step back.

"I wasn't in town any longer," Elden admitted. "But I did have a few cameras set up to watch the fun. I was very impressed with the sonic modulator, but I really want to know what you saw."

"You're Thane," Rose said softly.

Elden blinked in surprise, "How do you know that name?"

"You'd be surprised," Rose said as she reached for her pager and pressed the red button. Rose summoned her sword, but was knocked off of her feet as an explosive shockwave from the other end of the building ripped through the area.


	48. Thane: Explosive Plans

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Forty-Eight: Explosive Plans

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Sorry this is a little late; I was traveling home from visiting my parents so I had to finish typing up what I wrote in my head on the drive. Sadly I don't type as fast as I think. As always thank you for the wonderful reviews. Who ever said I hadn't updated in nine months, I'm hoping that you meant days. I may not update every week, but I do an okay job.

Rose noticed three things as she began to pick herself up off of the ground, the first was that the room seemed intact, the second was that her sword had returned to bracelet form and the third was that Thane had an oddly panicked look on his face as he jumped to his feet. He glanced back and her and growled, "We'll pick this up later." Thane rushed out of the room before Rose could climb to her feet. Stumbling towards the door, Rose yelled for Toshiko and sighed in relief when she found the Asian woman in the next room over. Rose pressed the red button on her emergency pager and shoved it into her pocket.

"Rose," Tosh asked as she helped Professor Rivers to her feet. "Do you know what happened?"

"It's Thane," Rose said, deciding not to sorry about Professor Rivers. "The alien that the Doctor warned us about, he's the one who made the wormhole machine."

"Alien?" Professor Rivers said with shocked face. "Who are you people?" 

Rose would have sighed in frustration, but instead she squared her shoulders and looked straight at Professor Rivers. "Professor the situation is very dangerous, I suggest that you help evacuate your people and leave the area immediately."

Professor Rivers glanced between Rose and Toshiko for a moment before she nodded and moved to an intercom on the far wall. "This is Professor Rivers, I want a full evacuation of the Institute at once. Help anyone injured outside and only summon the medics if they cannot be moved."

"Thank you," Rose said with a nod before she turned to Toshiko. "Thane wasn't expecting that explosion, he looked panicked." 

"Do you know where the explosion originated?" Tosh asked Professor Rivers.

"I can't say for certain, but it was definitively from the west side of the building."

"Alright, let's get everyone out of here," Tosh said as she moved over to check one of the offices.

Rose followed suit and found one lab tech with a filing cabinet on him. "Calm down," Rose told the man as she began carefully shifting the weight of the cabinet. "Slow movements," Rose instructed around her grit teeth at the weight. When the man was free, Rose helped him stand and has him lean on her for support. Toshiko and Professor Rivers had a small group of people waiting by the doors to the wing when Rose caught up. One of the other scientists quickly moved over to help Rose with the injured man. Nodding in thanks, Rose allowed the large man to take over before she walked up to Professor Rivers.

"I think that's everyone in this area," the Professor said.

"Good, then let's get them out," Rose said with a nod.

The group worked its way out towards the main foyer without incident. The closer they got, the more danger there was with holes ripped in the walls and sadly a few bodies that made Professor Rivers sob softly. Rose's expression was tight as she kept the group moving along. More survivors joined them along the way. Rose ran ahead and opened the main doors in time to see UNIT trucks coming through the open gate. Stepping outside, Rose glanced around to make sure that nothing was collapsing right in front of them. Then she flinched as she ran into something face first.

Blinking, Rose studied the air in front of her and watched it ripple slightly. She reached out with her hand and gasped as it connected with a cool surface that shimmered beneath her fingers. Rose pushed against it carefully, but it didn't shift in the slightest. Moving to the side, Rose followed the field down a few feet as UNIT soldiers rushed up to the door.

Mickey gaped at the force field and pushed against it from the outside. A moment later he pulled out his knife and tried pushing the knife into the force field, but it once again didn't budge.

"It's a force field Rose," Mickey said with a slight awe.

"Keep your geekiness in check," Rose said firmly. "We've got injured people and can't get them out. Maybe Malcolm can figure this out."

"Tyler," Colonel Benton said as he came forward and tried to the shift the field himself. "What happened?"

"An explosion sir," Rose reported. "It is an alien behind the technology. Thane, that alien who built the wormhole machine in Croydon a few months back."

"So this is where he escaped to," the Colonel observed with a frown. "Do you know what he is up to?" 

"No," Rose answered with a shake of her head. "I don't."

"Check the entire perimeter for any openings," the Colonel ordered Mickey. "And get a helicopter out here to check high. I want men with shovels to dig down and see how deep it goes. Call in heavy equipment if necessary."

"Yes sir," Mickey said, saluting the officer. He glanced at Rose and gave her a small nod before he marched towards one of the vehicles.

The Colonel looked at the injured people and then to Professor Rivers who was looking at the force field with awe and worry. "Professor Rivers, what the state of the building interior?" 

"Uh it is very damaged," Professor Rivers replied, "It's possible that some people are trapped, but we saw…" Professor Rivers swallowed and lowered her eyes.

"I see," the Colonel said with a nod. "Rose do you know anyone who has dealt with a forcefield before?"

"I don't remember anyone mentioning it," Rose answered. "Maybe Ace, uh Dorothy McShane or Sarah Jane."

"We'll contact them and see if they have any information. Malcolm is on his way with the mobile research unit so just stay out here where we can monitor your status."

Rose was about to nod when she heard a strange wheezing sound echoing out of the Pharos Institute. Turning back towards the doors, Rose grinned as she identified the familiar sound as the TARDIS materializing. She looked back over her shoulder at Benton who was smiling slightly. He shook his head before he met Rose's eyes, his own eyes glimmering with amusement.

"Go on then," Benton said, "Help the Doctor deal with this, but be careful."

"Yes sir," Rose said, snapping a quick little salute. She glanced over at Tosh and smiled, grabbing the other woman's hand. "Come on Tosh, you'll probably be useful with this."

"What?" Tosh asked before she was pulled back into the building.

Rose looked around, trying to determine where the TARDIS was. She figured heading where the most damage was located was probably a good way to start. "The Doctor is here," Rose explained as she moved towards one of the rubble filled hallways off of the foyer. "That sound was the TARDIS materializing."

"The Doctor?" Tosh gasped, "Are you certain?" 

"Yes," Rose answered with a nod. "He hinted that I might run into him soon." 

"He… you talked to him?"

"He's a friend," Rose said catching herself. "It's a bit complicated though."

Toshiko seemed to be either too shocked or too focused to question Rose further as she followed Rose into the heavily damaged section of the building. Nervously, Rose kept glancing up at the roof which was still in one piece, but groaning under the weight of debris on higher floors.

"The explosion must have come from an upper floor," Tosh observed quietly as they reached a sealed security door. "What could have happened?"

"Maybe Thane made a mistake," Rose suggested with a shrug as she pulled out her sonic pen and pointed it at the security controls. "It wouldn't be the first time after all."

"Rose is that a sonic screwdriver?" Tosh asked when she saw the blue glow just before the door slid open.

"No, it is a sonic pen and no you cannot reverse engineer it."

"But-"

"No," Rose said firmly. She was saved from having to say anything further when they turned the corner and found the TARDIS standing amongst some rubble.

"The TARDIS," Tosh breathed.

"You've seen her before," Rose said with a smile.

"Yes I remember," Tosh said. "But it is just amazing."

"That she is," Rose agreed with a nod. "Let's see if her Time Lord is still inside." Rose stepped up to the TARDIS and pulled out her key from under her blouse. She ignored Tosh's gasp as she unlocked the door and stepped into the TARDIS. Rose sighed at the empty console room and turned back to the doorway to find a stunned Tosh.

"It really is bigger on the inside," Tosh whispered.

"Yeah it is," Rose agreed as she moved outside the TARDIS. "But we haven't got time right now." 

"Of course," Tosh agreed. "We need to find the source of the explosion. If that happens again then the whole building will come down on top of us."

"And depending on what Thane is doing that could be catastrophic," Rose said with a nod. "Just be careful Tosh, he had cameras at the wormhole site so he knows that we're with UNIT even if he didn't get our files." Rose glanced down the corridor. "The Doctor is already off somewhere, hopefully we'll run into him soon."

Toshiko nodded her understanding and they closed up the TARDIS. Carefully, they climbed the stairs and Rose felt that the entire situation was far too similar to the last problem Thane had caused on Earth.

"I never want to climb a crumbling staircase ever again," Toshiko said behind her as they navigated their way to the higher level.

"I'd say that, but based on my future goals I think it is unlikely," Rose said as she pushed open the fire door. "Corridor is a mess, but it looks alright to move through."

The corridor had rubble from one of the lab walls collapsed into it and piping was exposed. Rose was relieved to see that nothing had ruptured yet as several power lines were sparking. She glanced back at Tosh to find the woman carefully examining the damage. Tosh caught Rose's gaze and gave her a reassuring nod.

"This way," Tosh indicated. "The walls here show signs of a pressure wave coming from the other side."

"Lead on," Rose said as she took her sonic pen back out and held it ready.

They found the epicenter without any trouble on the far side of the building. One side of the room had completely fallen away revealing the blue sky outside. Parts of the roof were caved in on the room, but a workstation on the far side of the room was still intact having been protected by a thick wall and equipment. Rose glanced around checking for Thane before she walked through the ruined room. Tosh leaned down in front of the computer and smiled when the machine blinked on.

"I'm amazed it still has power," Rose noted as she looked around the room. "How is that even possible?"

"Maybe I can find out what was in this lab," Tosh said as she began to hack her way through the security system. "Be careful in here Rose, if there were chemicals, they have been released."

"I'll watch myself," Rose said as she moved out into the center of the room. The floor creaked under her and Rose tensed despite herself. She noted a metal table bent in half against the far wall. Moving over to it, Rose noticed the bits of a container that looked like they were warped outwards. "Tosh, I think an experiment exploded. If Thane introduced something to the environment here it may have become unstable." Rose frowned and looked around. "No bodies."

"You say that like it is a bad thing," Tosh said without looking up.

"This may have been a sealed area," Rose said with a shrug. "Maybe Thane didn't know what they were working on."

"I'm in," Tosh said happily. "Uh… wait a moment…"

"What's wrong?" Rose asked as she walked over.

"The Bad Wolf bug," Tosh said as she pressed a few keys. "I'm sure it is the same problem we're having at UNIT. The system is almost completely locked. There is an order here to close down the experiment until the computer problem is resolved."

"That explains why no one was in here," Rose said.

"Yes it does," Tosh said. "But I can't find out what exploded, that damn Bad Wolf is blocking me."

Rose frowned as the words Bad Wolf flashed down the screen, repeating until the whole screen was filled. The computer flickered and then shut off. Tosh reached for the power button and snapped her hand back as a jolt of power hit her. Rose jumped back and bent down to check the electrical outlet.

"Tosh," Rose said, "This machine isn't being powered normally."

"What do you mean?" Tosh asked as she nursed her fingers.

"The outlet is torn open and the cord isn't connected to it." Rose stood up, "Basically it isn't plugged into anything."

Tosh stepped back from the machine and watched it as it flickered on and off, the words Bad Wolf still filling the screen. "We should leave," Tosh said after taking a deep breathe. "The amount of energy that must be in the air…" 

"We'd be feeling affects," Rose said as she leaned forward to examine the frayed edges of the computer's power cord. "Look at the metal here Tosh, something is off."

Tosh leaned to look around Rose and nodded, "The color is wrong."

Both women jumped back when the cord sparked. Rose looked at Tosh and smirked, "Nanotechnology can work with metal."

"And if Thane has high powered nanobots active then they might spark an explosion or accidently power on a computer while on the cord."

"We have to find the Doctor," Rose said. "Let's get back to the TARDIS and see if I can figure out a way to find him."

"Maybe a medical scanner," Tosh suggested as they slipped out of the room.

"Yeah, if I had any idea what button to press," Rose said with a laugh as they started their way back to the TARDIS. "Normally he is easy to find."

"It is very quiet," Tosh agreed with a glance around. "I don't like it." 

"Right there with you," Rose muttered. "Calm before the storm."

The TARDIS was still standing amongst the rubble when they returned to it. Rose pulled the chain out again and lifted the key to the lock.

"Breaking and entering again?" An amused voice with a familiar northern accent said to the left of them.

Rose let the key drop back against her chest and turned to face the Doctor. He was wearing the same leather coat that Rose remembered and was smiling at the sight of her. Despite the circumstances, Rose couldn't help but return the smile. The Doctor stepped forward and swept Rose up in a comforting hug.

"Hello Rose," the Doctor greeted when he released her.

"Hello Doctor," Rose replied with a grin to rival his. "So much for meeting me after graduation."

"I'll get there," the Doctor defended.

"Scenic route then?" Rose teased with a raised eyebrow.

"Something like that, time machine remember."

"Oh I remember," Rose returned before she forced herself to focus. "Doctor this is Toshiko Sato, she is a friend of mine with UNIT's scientific division."

"Nice to meet you Doctor," Tosh greeted nervously.

"UNIT is aware of the alien technology here then," the Doctor observed before glancing down the hall. "A bit understaffed aren't you."

"Tosh and I were sent in just to check things out, but there was an explosion. When we tried to leave there was some kind of field blocking us in and the rest of the UNIT forces out. The wounded are outside while Benton tries to find a way in. I heard the TARDIS so we came to find you. We've checked the epicenter of the explosion."

The Doctor's expression darkened and he nodded solemnly. "I went there first thing, we must have just missed each other." The Doctor held up a small piece of metal that had the same odd color to it. "I need to run a test on this."

"Rose said that the alien that caused the explosion seemed surprised," Tosh said as the Doctor opened the TARDIS. "We believe that the lab was locked down and he wasn't aware of the experimental materials inside."

"Any idea what kind of alien we are dealing with?" the Doctor asked as he walked into the TARDIS and to the console. He set the piece of metal down in a small bowl and pushed a few buttons. 

"Thane," Rose replied. "You told me that his name was Thane." 

"Thane is here on Earth?" The Doctor asked his body tensing.

"Who is Thane?" Tosh asked jumping at the tone of the Doctor's voice. She was hanging near the door of the TARDIS.

"He is wanted for nine counts of planetary destruction by the Shadow Council," the Doctor answered darkly. "He is known as the World Killer." The Doctor turned to Rose, "The computer terminals are locked down by some odd computer virus. What do you know?"

"Thane under the name of Theodore Elden created a new form of nanotechnology that he claimed he can control with a mental interface. We believe that he's used this interface system to enter computer systems so he potentially has access to all of UNIT's information in addition to the nanobots."

"Why did they send the two of you?" The Doctor asked. "Why not a few soldiers and Malcolm?"

"Rose and I are special employees," Tosh said softly. "He didn't access our files. UNIT was worried that he'd know any UNIT staff that entered the building."

"He knew us anyway from the cameras that he had in his old lab in Croydon," Rose explained.

"Thane doesn't know about you though Doctor," Tosh reminded them.

"I'm sure he does," the Doctor replied. "I've had my eye out for Thane for a few years, but he is a slick one and he never works the same way twice. He's probably at least heard a few stories about me and the TARDIS. She is easy to recognize if you're heard the stories."

"There's always a downside," Rose muttered before she turned to the Doctor, "So now what?"

"Now we see what the scanner has to say," the Doctor replied as he snatched the screen and turned it so he could see the readings. "I heard that Thane didn't worry about safety measures, but this is a bit ridiculous even for his reputation."

"What is it?" Tosh asked, moving up to look at the screen.

"This metal has over fifty nanobots on it, they are converting the matter into energy which is why the color is off. Some of it is being dispersed into the air, but most of the energy is remaining in the nanobots. This is impressive work."

"That's why the computer still had power," Tosh said softly. "Why would he do that?"

"Thane likes to use the technology of the world he is on to destroy it," the Doctor observed darkly. "That is one of his tricks, he often advances the planet's technology and then escapes after starting a crisis."

"So these nanobots are going to keep consuming metal until they are shut down?" Tosh asked nervously.

"Thane put up that force field to keep UNIT out, but right now it is also keeping these things inside," the Doctor said. "So we need to find Thane and figure out how to shut these things down. His plan has already been advanced by the explosion, the force field was probably a backup plan so with a bit of luck we can catch him." The Doctor turned to Tosh and Rose, "Any idea where he might be?"

"No," Rose said as she looked at the metal in the scanner, "But I think I know how to stop the nanobots."

"How?" Tosh asked.

"The Bad Wolf bug seems to deflect these things and make files invisible," Rose said. "What if we could upload that into the interface that controls them."

"Then they couldn't read their own programming and would stop functioning," the Doctor observed with a smile. "I like it."

"The computer upstairs was infected with that," Tosh observed. "We could see if it is still working." 

The Doctor nodded and pulled the small container with the metal up and out of the console. Rose blinked, seeing that it was a simple old plastic container. The Doctor handed it to Tosh. "You might need to put this by the machine's power cords to charge power. Just be careful with it, those things are producing a lot of energy." The Doctor turned to Rose, "Fancy finding Thane?"

"We were having a conversation that he wanted to finish," Rose said with a smile. She glanced over at Tosh, "Will you be alright?"

"I'll get the bug Rose," Tosh replied. "Or whatever it is. Keep your phone on and I'll call for your location."

"Right," Rose said before turning to the Doctor, "Any ideas of where to start?"

The Doctor opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a loud creaking noise from the upper floor. Tosh grabbed the wall as the building shuddered. The Doctor grabbed Rose to keep her upright, but the quake passed quickly. Frowning, the Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and rushed for the main door. Rose managed to keep up with him and glanced over her shoulder to see Tosh scrambling up the stairs.

They burst out the front doors and turned to look up at the building's roof. A cloud of glowing particles was rising from the roof and swarming at the peak of the roof.

"So that's what he's doing," the Doctor muttered from beside Rose.

"What is he doing Doctor?" Benton asked from the far side of the force field.

"Thane's nanobots are cannibalizing the building, not just for metal, but also for energy. He's building a ship so he can leave the planet before the nanobots devour it."

The cloud began to solidify high above them and Rose's eyes widened as the form of a small spaceship perched high above them.

"I hope you have a plan Doctor," Benton said from behind them. "We can't find a way through this force field."

"Just be ready," the Doctor said, not taking his eyes off of the ship for a long moment. He looked at Rose, "Well we know where to find Thane now." The Doctor pulled on her hand, "Come on."


	49. Thane: The World Killers

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Forty-Nine: The World Killers

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: I just realized that I've been writing this series for just over a year now. I'm pretty impressed with myself with far I've gotten. Uh Thane turned out a bit different than I first imagined him…. this villain just became more interesting.

The Doctor's long legs gave him a distinct advantage in climbing up the stairs to the top of the building. Rose pushed aside her worries about the strength of the staircases and followed him up towards the newly crafted ship. Neither of them spoke and the Doctor slowed his pace as they reached the top level of the building. Rose hung back as he looked around a corner quickly and then huffed. Leaning to the side, Rose glanced into the corridor and covered her mouth to hide a gasp. Two small droids, made up of hundreds of small shining metal pieces were standing guard in front of a rope ladder hanging down through a large hole in the ceiling.

"What are those?" Rose whispered to the Doctor as she moved closer to him.

"They look like security drones," the Doctor said as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver. "Too far apart to take them out at the same time," he observed tensely. "This is going to be tricky."

Rose pulled out her sonic pen and held it up, "Would this help?"

The Doctor snatched the pen from her hands and studied it before he looked back at her face with an odd expression. "You have a sonic screwdriver?"

"No," Rose replied with a small smirk, "I have a sonic pen."

"How do you have a sonic pen?" The Doctor asked with wide eyes.

"You gave it to me, well you will give it me," Rose said with a shrug. "Does it have the right settings on it to deal with the drones?"

"Yes," the Doctor said with a nod as he remembered why they were there. "Looks like setting 17 will do the trick."

Rose carefully took her sonic pen out of the Doctor's hand and adjusted it as he adjusted his own sonic screwdriver. "Which one do you want?" Rose asked, "Right or left?"

"I'll take right," the Doctor replied, still glancing between Rose's face and her pen. "I really gave you a sonic device?"

"Who else do I know who would give me one?" Rose questioned as she raised the sonic pen.

"Just aim for the left drone," the Doctor said, "This will fuse its circuits, like those robotic clowns of the Piper, remember?"

"Hard to forget," Rose said. "Ready?"

"Three, two, one," the Doctor counted down before they both swung around the corner, aiming at their respective drone. "Now."

Pressing the sonic pen's button, Rose watched with interest as the small drone in front of her spun towards her and started to hum just before it started sparking. She risked a glance at the other drone and saw that it was sparking as well. "Close your eyes," the Doctor suddenly hissed. Rose obeyed right before a flash erupted from each drone. She opened her eyes cautiously a moment later. Both drones were slightly melted on the ground and the Doctor was shoving his sonic screwdriver back into his pocket.

The Doctor and Rose now examined the large room they were in. A workcenter filled one side of the wall and Rose could see a program running down the screens of several monitors. The Doctor stepped towards them, his blue eyes scanning everything carefully.

"This isn't the full code," the Doctor announced in a low tone. "The rest of the interface must be with Thane, he'd want to keep the final part of the program with him."

"What about the force field?" Rose asked as she looked around for anything that looked remotely like a force field generator.

"Probably with him as well, some portable generators are very small," the Doctor explained as he walked to one of the machines. "I can shut down at least part of their programing from this. It won't stop Thane's ship, but it should keep the rest of the building intact."

"Right," Rose said with a nod as she pulled out her phone. "I'll call Tosh and tell here where we are."

"Tell her to be careful," the Doctor said firmly. "The nanobots are still eating away at the infrastructure."

Rose quickly dialed Toshiko and was about to start speaking with her friend when a sudden high pitched noise form above made her look up in surprise. The Doctor grabbed her hand and pulled her against the wall as another section of the roof collapsed into the room.

"What was that?" Rose asked as she looked at the room which was falling apart and shuddering.

"He's turned off the force field," the Doctor said. "He's almost done."

"Tosh?" Rose said into the phone as she raised it into her ear. "Do you have the bug?"

"Yes, but Rose the stairway is blocked. I can't get to you."

Rose paused and was aware of the Doctor looking at her. "Can you email it to me?"

"What?" Tosh said.

"Email it to my phone," Rose said. "I'll upload it from there."

"Are you certain," Tosh asked. "That isn't as simple."

"I'm sure the Doctor can manage it," Rose said with a glance at him.

"I'll need to adjust the phone," the Doctor said. "Only a boosted signal will be linkable to the interface."

"My phone is already super charged," Rose said, "You saw to that."

"Fine then," the Doctor answered gruffly as he glanced back towards the ladder. "Hurry."

"Tosh, send it now and get out, Thane's lowered the force field."

"Tell Benton to stay back," the Doctor added.

"But you and Rose?"

"We'll be alright," Rose said firmly with a long look at the Doctor. "Now send it." She tossed the phone to the Doctor and stepped back to let him rush over to the terminals. He grabbed two wires and dumped several bits out of his pocket onto the table. Rose grabbed the wall as another shudder went through the building.

"Done here," the Doctor said suddenly as he grabbed Rose's hand. "I've introduced that bug here which should slow them down a bit, but I need to get the main interface."

"Up the ladder then," Rose suggested with a gesture towards the rope ladder.

"Up the ladder," The Doctor said as he grabbed one of the rungs and started pulling himself up. Rose glanced around the room and back at the stairs.

"Please hold together," Rose muttered before she grabbed the ladder and proceeded to follow the Doctor up.

The roof of the building had been transformed by the nanobots. The spaceship loomed over them, gleaming in the sunlight on a platform complete with a railing and covered with machines and wires leading into the ship.

"He's using the nanobots to charge up the ship's engines," the Doctor explained as they moved forward. Rose's eyes darted around as she searched for Thane or the interface.

The door of the ship slid open a moment later and Thane stepped outside with a wide smile. In his right hand he was holding a tablet covered with strange circuitry and wires. "Ah the Doctor," Thane said reverently. "The Destroyer of Worlds." Rose felt more than saw the Doctor stiffen next to her as Thane walked slowly towards them. "I've heard stories and legends about you all across the galaxy. Imagine my surprise when I found a file on you in UNIT's database." Thane gracefully leaned against the railing of the platform and smirked. "Oh the stories that are told about you."

"Give yourself up Thane," the Doctor said in a strained and tight voice.

Thane straightened up and glanced over at Rose briefly before he returned his focus to the Doctor. "Why?"

"You've killed worlds," the Doctor said with a hitch in his voice. "I won't allow you to play your games with Earth."

"You've killed worlds as well Doctor," Thane said, a nasty smile on his face. "You didn't deny it."

"No, I didn't," the Doctor replied. "End the program, now."

"This conversation is so much more interesting," Thane said with a tilt of his head before letting his eyes travel back to Rose. "And what does the pretty girl think of the pair of us, the world destroyers?"

"I know I loathe you and believe in him," Rose said in a clear tone. Her words seemed to surprise Thane and the Doctor. "I know what he does for the universe and what would drive him to destroy a planet," Rose added a moment later, "But for you it is a matter of entertaining yourself. For you it's fun." Rose glared up at Thane. "And that make all the difference."

"And the conversation just became dull and preachy," Thane said dramatically. "But we never finished our first conversation. When my wormhole crossed with the Rift, what did you see?"

"I don't remember," Rose said, tilting her chin up.

"I don't believe you," Thane growled. "What did you see?"

Rose shifted slightly into a defense stance and lowered her right arm to be ready with her sword. The Doctor's eyes hadn't left Thane, but Rose could read the curiosity on his own face. "Nothing, I can't remember it."

Thane glared at her and his free hand clutched at the railing. "Don't lie to me!" He suddenly screamed, "What did you see?"

Rose took a step back in surprise and nearly fell backwards. The Doctor gripped her arm and Rose forced herself to take a breath. "Shut down the nanobots and I'll tell you."

Thane tilted his head and examined Rose before he looked around the building. "This place is falling to pieces," he observed causally. "I like that," he turned back to Rose, "But tell me anyway."

The Doctor eased his grip on Rose's arm and took a step forward. "That's enough Thane," the Doctor replied.

"Oh but there are such legends Doctor," Thane said as he turned his attention back to the Doctor. "I studied them, after the death of my world I heard whispers of a Great War of many worlds dying. Gallifrey… wasn't it." 

Rose watched the Doctor tense and glanced back at Thane, who was watching the Doctor with fascination again. Glancing around, Rose started moving to the side of the building, carefully avoiding the holes in the roof as she moved towards Thane and his ship.

"And the stories of Gallifrey talk about a schism," Thane continued with a breathy laugh. "Imagine my joy when one opened before me."

"But you ran from it," the Doctor observed, not moving his gaze from Thane.

"I looked, I did look, but…" Thane shook his head. "I couldn't see anything, I couldn't hear anything. It was just a void of nothing."

Rose grabbed onto the rail as the building shifted again and swallowed as panic tried to overtake her. She forced the reaction down with a shaky breath and refocused on Thane who was still focused on the Doctor. Carefully she stepped up onto the platform and moved towards Thane. Rose risked a glance over towards the Doctor.

"Look out!" The Doctor shouted and Rose turned to look back at Thane as he grabbed a piece of metal and swung at her. Rose threw her arm up to defend her head and stumbled back as Thane's blow collided. Thane shrieked and raised the metal tubing again, dropped the tablet to the ground. Rose dropped away from another swing and grabbed the tablet.

"Doctor!" Rose shouted before she threw the tablet towards him, praying that he caught it. Her attention was ripped back to Thane as her arm was hit from the side.

"Rose!" The Doctor shouted as she was knocked to the side.

Rose rolled out of Thane's path as he rushed towards her and jumped to her feet. "Stop the nanobots," Rose shouted. "This place isn't going to last much longer!" Rose slipped into a defensive stance and watched as Thane's eyes darted between her and the Doctor before they settled back on her.

"Did you see anything?" Thane asked again.

"You're obsessed," Rose said with a shake of her head.

"Do you know what that was little girl?" Thane asked he took a step towards her. "That was eternity, a tiny rip in the very fabric of the universe. A point where everything exists at once." Thane's expression turned dark, "And I saw nothing."

"Maybe you didn't want to see anything," Rose suggested with a nervous swallow. "Planet killer and all."

"Maybe," Thane said, hi stone returning to normal. He paused and looked at his ship, "I really should leave, but I hate failing to destroy a planet I've marked."

"Why Earth?"

"I crashed here," Thane replied with a shrug. "Simple accident. Chaos at its best."

"Like chaos do you?" Rose questioned, remaining in her defensive stance despite Thane's seeming desire to stop swinging at her.

"Love it," Thane said with a gleeful tone. "Anything can happen and probably will."

"You're a real piece of work," Rose observed. "Completely crazy."

"At moments," Thane admitted with a shrug. "Those are fairly rare."

The building lurched again and Thane laughed, "How about this Rose, I'll bring you and the Doctor with me. You're interesting and just imagine what he and I could be together."

"Rather not," the Doctor's voice interrupted from behind Thane. Rose's eyes snapped towards him as Thane spun to face him. The Doctor didn't hesitate, but brought his fist up and punched Thane in the face. The alien stumbled back and Rose snatched up the metal tube he'd been swinging at her and brought it down on his head.

"Nice punch," Rose said with a smile as Thane dropped to the ground.

"Nice hit," The Doctor returned with a grin as he held up the tablet. "Easy."

"Then what took so long?"

"It's not like it was hard to keep him talking," the Doctor argued. "Completely mad this one."

They both froze as the building shuddered again.

"Doctor?" Rose asked, "I don't think this is going to last much longer."

"No it isn't," the Doctor responded as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver. The roof under Rose's feet shuddered.

"I thought you turned them off!" Rose shrieked as she shifted her weight as a hold crumbled away.

"I did," the Doctor snapped as he moved to the ships door. "But most of the building is gone. It isn't being held together by much anymore." The door of the ship opened and the Doctor grinned. "So we'll use Thane's exit strategy." The Doctor grabbed Thane's shirt color and drug him towards the door. "Then I'm taking him to the Shadow Council."

Rose grabbed Thane's arm and helped the Doctor pull him into the ship. The Doctor dropped the body on the floor and rushed into the ship. Rose gasped as she took in the smooth surface of the entire interior. Small screens and controls lined the walls, leading to a large control panel. The Doctor dashed over to the controls as the ship rocked, tossing Thane into the wall as Rose gripped the door frame, her hair flying in the wind. She looked out of the still open door and watched the Pharos building roof crack down the center and begin to fall into the main building.

"Hold on!" The Doctor shouted as he hit three buttons in quick sequence. The ship was filled with a grinding noise and lurched again. Rose felt her stomach drop for a moment as the ship evened out and rose off of the crumbing roof. Her grip on the doorframe didn't change as Rose stared at the collapsing building. There was a dull roar as the stone smashed together and fell into a massive heap below.

"Oi! Shut the door!" The Doctor called from the controls.

"How?" Rose asked as she looked for a handle.

"Yellow button at the right," the Doctor shouted back, sounding a touch impatient. "I'm getting resistance.

Rose found the yellow button and pressed it carefully, unwilling to release her grip completely. She gave a sigh of relief as the door slid shut and she stepped back. Glancing at Thane's prone body, Rose took in a deep breath.

"Well that wasn't too bad," the Doctor said.

Rose turned and walked towards the controls and then laughed. The Doctor was sitting in a raised chair surrounded by controls and holding onto what looked like a joystick. A large screen in front of him showed the immediate outside view.

"Having fun?" Rose asked with a tilt of her head.

"Bit boring for a ship," the Doctor said with a shrug, "But not bad."

"Will the TARDIS be okay?" Rose asked.

"Oh she'll be fine once UNIT digs her out," the Doctor reassured her. "I'm afraid that your phone didn't survive."

Rose laughed and shook her head, "That's alright I was due for an upgrade anyway." She smiled, "I'll have you supercharge it next time I see you."

"Might be awhile," the Doctor noted.

"I doubt it," Rose replied with a laugh. "Me and aliens is pretty much a monthly occurrence now."

"Jeopardy friendly," the Doctor huffed.

"Trouble Magnet," Rose returned with a grin.

The Doctor grinned and laughed at Rose, shaking his head. "Hold on, I'm landing."

Rose gripped the pilot's chair as the ship gently shifted downwards. She still felt her stomach shift and hissed as they touched down. Rose sighed in relief as the screen showed UNIT men rushing towards the ship. She stepped away from the chair and headed for the doorway.

The Doctor caught Rose's hand gently and pulled her back to face him, standing right up against her. Rose remained silent as the Doctor looked into her eyes with a frown. He blinked and stepped back to give Rose more space. "Is it true that you looked into a collapsing wormhole that had crossed the Rift?"

"Yes," Rose said with a nod. "But I don't understand what it was. Thane said some really strange things about it."

"An unstable wormhole colliding with a time and space rift would have created a tiny tear in reality. In theory time and space would be broken down," the Doctor swallowed. "In theory you could see eternity in an instant."

"Oh," Rose said softly. "That's what Thane said, I was hoping he was just crazy."

"Do you remember anything?" the Doctor asked gently.

"Yes," Rose answered softly, "I remember a song."

"A song?" the Doctor asked, surprise clear on his features.

"Yeah," Rose replied with a nervous shrug. "That's it."

"That's probably good," the Doctor replied before he forced himself to smile. "Do me a favor Rose and don't go looking into anymore schisms."

"I'll try to avoid it," Rose answered with a chuckle. "Now I believe we need to let UNIT in and dig out the TARDIS." Rose paused and turned back to the Doctor, "What about this ship? UNIT is going to want to keep it."

"We'll see how quickly they recover the TARDIS," the Doctor replied with a grin.


	50. Thane: Gratitude

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Fifty: Gratitude

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Chapter 50… whoa and still three more episodes to go. I think this is a pretty fitting 50th episode for this story. I warn you that this chapter jumps scenes three times. Thanks to everyone for your amazing support throughout this story. This is the last chapter of Thane and coming up is The Chesterton-Smith Wedding! Please review, your feedback/support is what keeping me working so hard on this story.

The Doctor watched the UNIT crew start removing rubble with an intense stare that Rose was certain to encourage them to be quick with recovering the TARDIS, but probably slowed them down as the workers kept rubbing the backs of their necks. Benton was shaking his head at the Doctor from over at the command vehicle. After a few minutes of making sure everything was going normally, Rose had asked for her jeep to be brought up by Mickey. As soon as her jeep arrived, Rose had recovered her bag from the passenger seat.

"Pretty exciting day huh," Mickey said as he stood by her jeep, watching the excavation.

"Not bad," Rose replied with a smile as she closed her jeep back up and leaned against it next to Mickey. "Puts finales into perspective at least."

"Oh you'll be great," Mickey said with a chuckle. "You worry about exams too much, you always have."

"I'm not a natural test taker," Rose said with a shrug. "I'm not like Sharon who dominates standardized tests without any effort."

"Still, you're worrying too much. Plus it's not like finishing your degree is required for your future."

"No," Rose admitted, "But my pride demands it." Rose glanced back towards the Doctor and smiled as the top of the TARDIS appeared out of the rubble. "How are your classes going?"

"Slowly," Mickey said with a shrug, "Being a part time student isn't as easy. Benton is looking at lowering my UNIT hours so I can be a full time student next year."

"Really?" Rose asked with a smile. "He have you in mind to be an officer?"

"I suppose so," Mickey said with a pleased smile. "Apparently he went back to school later too, which is how he became an officer."

"Plus Geneva promotions," Rose said. "Well I really like that idea!" Rose grinned and added, "Although I would miss you at incident sites."

"With you getting into trouble so often I doubt I'd always miss the fun," Mickey said.

"Maybe," Rose said with a shrug.

A crash pulled Rose's attention back to the TARDIS, the doorway had been cleared and a few men were putting a tether around the TARDIS to straighten it up. The box shifted forward a few minutes later with a dull thud. The Doctor looked over at Benton and Malcolm.

"Alright, you can keep the ship," the Doctor said with a smile. "It's a harmless transport vessel anyway, but have at it." The Doctor then moved up to the TARDIS and unlocked the door. He stepped inside, but glanced back at Rose before he moved up the walkway.

Rose dug her hand into her bag and smiled when her fingers found the small memory stick stored in one of the small pockets. Pulling it out, Rose swung the bag over her shoulder and walked over to the TARDIS,, ignoring the curious looks she was getting. Once inside, Rose closed the door and looked over at the Doctor. As she expected, he was already adjusting controls for his departure.

"Thanks for waiting," Rose said sincerely as she walked up the ramp to the console. "I just wanted to give this to you." She held out her hand with the memory stick towards him.

The Doctor blinked at her in surprise and picked up the memory stick, "That bug?" He guessed.

Rose shook her head and paused for a moment, unsure of how to answer. "It's a message for you. Well actually, a lot of messages," Rose said with a shrug. "Uh.. I've met a few more of your old friends and they all had things they wanted to say to you," Rose told him.

"What?" The Doctor asked with wide eyes, his face slack with surprise.

"Yeah, Ace, Tegan, Jo, Mel, Victoria, Ben, Polly, Barbara, Ian and Sarah Jane all recorded messages for you. They figured I'd be the first one to see you and be able to give it to you." The Doctor looked down at the small device with tension in his shoulders. Rose couldn't quite read everything flashing through his blue eyes. "They wanted to thank you," Rose said in a soft voice. "I didn't watch them all the way through, but when I was putting them together I caught bits of them all and that's what they are."

"Rose… I"

"Take it," Rose urged. "Watch it when you want to or never watch it, that's up to you, but I promised the rest of the club that I'd deliver it."

"The Club?"

"The Companion's Club," Rose said with a teasing smile. "We get together and talk about you."

"You… what?" The Doctor's eyes were wide and oddly panicked again.

"Well when I say get together I mean video calling," Rose said with a shrug. "Of course everyone is coming for Sarah Jane's wedding next months. Should be fun, you're welcome of course."

"Please tell me you're joking," the Doctor said weakly.

Unable to contain her smile, Rose shook her head and reached down to take the Doctor's hand. She raised his hand and placed the memory stick in it before closing his fingers around it. "You might be surprised at what your real legacy on Earth is," Rose said gently. "It isn't regrets or bad memories, it is inspiration and purpose."

"You don't know everything I've done to them," the Doctor said in a tired voice.

"Ace and Tegan are very honest about why they left," Rose said firmly. "We try to be honest with each other, that's how we can be friends."

"How do you fit into that?" the Doctor asked, still keeping his fist closed around the memory stick.

"I'm the junior member who hasn't traveled in the TARDIS, but is constantly having new adventures to share," Rose said. "I'll probably organize a video call to the whole Club to talk about today."

"Doesn't UNIT object to your sharing that information?" The Doctor asked, his voice warming again.

"The General knows I do it," Rose said with a shrug, "He also knows it would be a waste of time to try and stop me. It isn't like they are normal civilians." Rose grinned, "And UNIT gives anyone who knows the Doctor a lot of respect and slack when it comes to the rules."

That remark made the Doctor smile and Rose grinned in relief. "Well, I've got reports to write up and finals to study for," Rose said with a dramatic sigh. Her smile softened and she leaned up to quickly kiss the Doctor on the cheek. "Until next time Doctor, take care of yourself." Rose then turned and walked out of the TARDIS, a pleased smile on her face and the Doctor stared after her with a stunned, but pleased smile on his.

A few moments later he turned back to the console and placed the memory stick gently on down next to the viewing screen. The Doctor then pressed the series of buttons and pulled the lever to enter the Time Space vortex. Glancing back at the memory stick, the Doctor took a deep breath before he snatched it up and plugged it into the small usb hub near the button of the console before he could change his mind.

"Hello Professor," the warm familiar voice of Ace said from the screen. He stared at her face, she had aged so much, but gracefully into a beautiful woman. Her long dark hair was swept up in a casual bun and she was smiling softly at the camera. "Before you change your mind about watching this I want to say thanks. I know things didn't end well between us, but I wouldn't change traveling with you. Even when I was at my angriest, I never would have given up the time I had with you." Ace's eyes were shining slightly, but she didn't cry. "You were the best father figure I ever could have had and I know that so much of who I am now is from you. I run the A Charitable Earth organization and fund projects all over the world to make it a better place. Apparently I've funded a few other friends of yours, Tegan and Jo both say they've gotten money from us. I do a lot of good on Earth Doctor and you helped me see that I could. I don't know who I'd be today or what I'd be doing if I hadn't met you, but I like who I am and what I do so thank you, for everything."

The Doctor swallowed, barely able to breath as Ace's image ended on a warm smile that was for him before the screen faded to black. A moment later Tegan's face appeared on screen and the Doctor leaned forward to examine her face. Wrinkles betrayed her age, but laugh lines told him that time hadn't been too cruel to the woman who had left his TARDIS in fear and grief.

"Hi there Doctor," Tegan said with a smile, "This feels a bit silly, but I suppose this is easiest." Tegan took a deep breath, "It wasn't your fault, what happened with the Daleks the day that I left. You did everything you could and I know that. I guess part of me believed for so long that you'd always make things turn out alright that I held onto that too long." Tegan shook her head, "I'm not sure this is coming out right. Thing is that I know that you won't always succeed in saving everyone, but since I left the TARDIS I've realized that even knowing that you'll always try means so much. Just knowing that you're out there somewhere still trying with all your might helps me sleep at night." Tegan chuckled, "Anyway I'm back in Australia. I have two beautiful children and I'm very happy." Tegan smiled at the camera, "Thank you for the great adventure."

The Doctor stepped back and collapsed into the pilot's chair as the screen briefly faded to black again. He smiled softly when the face of a much older and grinning Jo Jones appeared on the screen. The TARDIS hummed in response to his smile. "Yeah," the Doctor said softly as he listened to the rapid happy words of Jo. "I'll have to thank Rose for this."

Rose was in the kitchen, working on a stir-fry dinner when she heard the familiar noise of the TARDIS materializing in the main room. She smiled to herself, but remained at the stove until she heard the door open.

"Honey I'm home," the Doctor called out before poking his head into the kitchen.

Grinning, Rose looked back at him over her shoulder, "Good timing, dinner is almost done."

The Doctor grinned and moved up behind Rose, kissing her on the cheek. "How did you know I'd be by?"

"I didn't," Rose admitted. "When I do serious cooking I always cook extra portions to reheat later." She leaned over and kissed his quickly, "But it works if you drop in too."

"Anything I can help with?" The Doctor asked, glancing around the kitchen. "I'm a brilliant taste tester."

"Actually I've got a new mobile on my desk, can you upgrade it?"

"What happened to your old one?" The Doctor asked.

"The incident with Thane at the Pharos Institute was today," Rose explained. "You lost my phone remember?"

"Right," the Doctor said slowly. "Well I was a bit more concerned with the insane alien that was going after you than I was with the phone."

"And I understand that," Rose replied, "But I still need the TARDIS number." Rose paused, "Unless you want to set the table and start on the dishes?"

"I'll go fix up your phone," the Doctor said before he quickly left the kitchen.

Rose chuckled to herself and shook her head. She turned to the cabinet and pulled out two glasses. Setting them on the table, Rose poured some wine and set the bottle down.

"Rose? What are you working on?" the Doctor called from the main room.

"Oh, don't touch the laptop," Rose said back. "I'm altering the Bad Wolf Bug into something I can use."

The Doctor stepped back into the kitchen, this time carrying Rose's new phone and leaned against the wall. He slipped his glasses on and smirked when Rose threw him a look. The Doctor snapped the phone open and used the sonic screwdriver to alter the phone before he began entering the TARDIS number.

"What are you up to?" The Doctor asked.

"I combining it with the program of the Armageddon Virus that I used to stop Spock," Rose replied as she began dishing the stir fry onto two plates. She turned and handed the Doctor the plate and found him smiling at her. "What?"

"You are brilliant," the Doctor replied as he took the plate. He leaned forward and kissed her on the mouth before adding, "Absolutely brilliant."

Rose smiled at his remark and they sat down at the small table at the far side of the kitchen. "So," Rose asked with tilt of her head, "How was your day?"

"Oh the usual, megalomaniac ruling a planet with another alien species supplying the technology and pulling the strings," the Doctor replied with a shrug. "I just dropped Donna off to see her grandfather."

"Does he know?"

"He knows," the Doctor replied. "He actually thinks it is wonderful. I like him."

"Sound about right then for Donna," Rose agreed with a smile. "So did you ever watch the videos I gave you?"

"Right after I left," the Doctor admitted with a soft look. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Rose paused, "So what about this body? Think you'll come by Sarah Jane's wedding?"

"Uh… that might not be a good idea."

"I could always call Donna," Rose threatened. "She'll make you come." 

"So my choices are to come with dignity or have Donna nag me until I give in?" 

"Pretty much," Rose replied with a smirk. "But seriously, I do think you should come."

"I'll think about it," the Doctor replied. "Maybe I could at least find out how you lot met!"

"I've never told you that?"

"Nope," the Doctor replied, popping the p. "I've asked and you've never told."

"Well, why change that now?" Rose asked. "Based on the evidence I have, I doubt I'll ever tell you. That's something you'll just have to live through."

"You can be so cruel," the Doctor sighed dramatically.

"Yet you love me," Rose observed. "And it isn't cruelty, but rather due care with time lines."

"You're paranoid," the Doctor chuckled.

"I have a lot that I don't want to lose," Rose corrected as she reached for the Doctor's hand. Their fingers intertwined and the Doctor smiled.

"I can agreed with that reason." He grinned at Rose, "I love you."

"I love you too," Rose answered. "Come on, tuck in."

Three Weeks Later

Rose smiled as she looked up at her Mum's house. She was now officially returning home after completing her first year of university. Her jeep had only a few bags in the back and her motorcycle was parked in at the side of the drive just waiting for her to take it on a spin through London. Rose pulled out her house key and slipped in the front door.

"Mum? Rita-Anne?" Rose called as she walked into the entry and set down the two large bags she had been carrying. Rose blinked in surprise at the changes to the room. A table had been added near the door along with a hat stand. A vase of bright yellow daffodils sat on the table. "Mum?" Rose called again, "I like what you've done with the place."

"Rose?" Her mother's voice called from upstairs. "You're home early. I'll be right down!"

Rose smiled and walked into the living room. It was brighter than before and the furniture had been shifted a bit to create a larger open space. What really caught Rose's attention was the painting that hung in the center of the far wall with a mirror on either side of it.

"Lumen," Rose said softly to herself. She stepped forward to examine her painting only to freeze as she saw her own face in one of the mirrors. Rose's eyes widened and she looked back at the painting with a critical eye for the first time in years.

"The TARDIS," Rose observed as she looked at the blue box standing behind the glowing figure, a figure that Rose realized for the first time looked more than a bit like herself. "Wait I didn't see the TARDIS until I was sixteen." Rose starred at the painting with shock and a touch of worry as the figure's now familiar words echoed in her head: Bad Wolf.

"Rose sweetheart," Jackie said suddenly from behind her. "Welcome home!"

Rose turned and hugged her mother, pushing her worried from her mind as she listened to her mother start to talk about the latest news on Bannerman Road, her job at the Chandra flower shop and how Rita-Anne was doing. Rose nodded and allowed her mother to lead her to the kitchen for a cuppa, but she glanced back at the painting again over her shoulder. She had the overwhelming feeling that she had just found another piece to the puzzle of Bad Wolf.


	51. The Wedding: Final Preparations

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Fifty-One: Final Preparations

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: I've created some confusion which I'm sorry about. There are three more episodes in this story. The next story will follow Rose's second year at Cambridge and have another 13 episodes, third year will have thirteen episodes and her fourth year will have 13 episodes. I was just referring to this one story.

Rose Marion Tyler's appearance would have surprised most people that knew her. The young woman who normally wore jeans, t-shirts with science sayings on them and sensible shoes and kept her hair tied back in a ponytail was wearing a simple, but elegant bridesmaid's dress that was a pale blue color with a white sash. Her long dark gold locks were twisted up on her head in an elegant bun with the back portion curled and flowing past her shoulder. True to her promise, Sarah Jane had order for small white flowers to be put into Rose's hair. The only thing that was the same was that her golden bracelet, the inactive form of her Star Knight sword was still on her wrist. Rose glanced down at her feet, she was wearing simple white ballet flats and briefly wondered if Sarah Jane would notice if she wore them during the ceremony instead of the heels that were waiting in the changing room. Rose turned her attention to the mobile phone she held in her hand and checked the time with a sigh.

The sound of a car made Rose look up quickly at the drive of the elegant building that Sarah Jane and Johnny had rented for their wedding. A black car with tinted windows pulled up in front of the stairs that Rose was standing on. The back driver side door swung open and Jo Jones almost stumbled out of the car. 

"Oh good, just in time," Jo said with a huff. Her eyes landed on Rose and she grinned widely. "Oh darling, look at you!" Jo stepped forward to the stairs and held out her arms. Rose smiled and gently hugged the older woman. "You look gorgeous," Jo said warmly as she stepped back. "Absolutely marvelous."

"Thank you Jo," Rose replied with a slight blush.

"Who else are we waiting for?" Jo asked.

"You're the last one here," Rose said with a smile. "Everyone else has been in London for a few days."

"Well when a tropical storm makes her change the entire travel plan, getting someplace on time can be an issue," Jo replied with a laugh. "I'm just glad I didn't miss it."

Rose took a moment to look back at the car and smiled as Santiago climbed out along with an older young man with dark hair.

"Rose, this is Henry another one of my grandsons. He just finished his degree in chemistry from Berkley in California."

"Nice to meet you," Rose said politely.

"It is nice to finally meet you," Henry replied with a nod. "Gran didn't stop talking about you the entire way here."

"I certainly did not, it took us two days to get here," Jo defended before she shook her head, "Anyhow, where is everyone?"

"There is a lounge on the ground floor, to the right of the main door. Last time I looked that where they were waiting."

"Well then, that's where you can find me," Jo said before she kissed Rose's cheek. "Come along Santiago." Rose sighed softly as Jo climbed the stairs and vanished inside. Henry shook his head and turned to Rose.

"I'll join everyone inside in a moment, where should I park?" 

"Around the right side is fine," Rose said. "Don't go to the left side."

"Why not the left?" Henry asked.

"That is where the General has his transport," Rose said with a shake of her head. "He's being a bit paranoid about this wedding."

"Is here expecting trouble?" Henry asked.

Rose looked at him and then asked, "How much do you know?"

"I grew up on the usual Jones family bedtime stories," Henry replied with a grin. "The Doctor, the TARDIS, UNIT and faraway planets."

"Then the General is expecting trouble," Rose answered with a chuckle. 

"Of course I am," the deep and stern voice of the General said from the doorway. He was dressed smartly in his formal uniform and trying to mask his amusement. "This many companions all in one place is begging the universe for trouble." The General stepped outside the door and glanced at Rose with a smile. "You alone are a trouble magnet."

"No, I'm Jeopardy Friendly," Rose replied with a smirk, "The Doctor is Trouble Magnet."

The General shook his head, "I rest my case. There is certain to be trouble today, of some kind."

"Don't be so worried General," Rose almost begged. "Today is a happy day."

"I notice that you're still wearing your sword," the General observed.

"Yes… well… it's pretty," Rose answered vaguely as she started climbing the stairs. "I'd better go see what other maid of honor duties I've got since Jo is here now." Rose paused and looked over at the General, "You want trouble, just imagine how bad the bachelorette party would have been if Jo hadn't been delayed." Rose grinned and slipped inside the building before the General could respond. She glanced into the lounge to see the Jacksons, Victoria, Ace, Mel, Tegan and Jo all talking excitedly together and exchanging greetings. Santiago was standing near the doorway talking with Luke, Clyde and Rani. Colonel Benton was watching the groups with an amused smile from where he was leaning against the far wall. Satisfied that the major guests were doing well, Rose climbed the grand staircase to the wedding floor.

She knocked on the side door to the room that was serving as the bridal changing room. A moment later Barbara carefully opened the door and scanned the hall before she opened the doorway enough to let Rose in.

"Bit paranoid aren't you?" Rose asked with a smile, "Johnny isn't going to try and peek."

"I'm not taking any chances," Barbara replied with a smile. "So is Jo here?"

"She got the timing a little off," Rose said with a shrug, "But yeah, she's downstairs now with the others."

"Excellent, all the out of town guests are accounted for." Barbara snatched up a notebook and checked off Jo's name and her party. "And the local guests should start arriving in an hour or so. They do know not to talk about aliens and the Doctor once those people arrive right?"

"I'm sure they do," Rose said calmly. "Breathe Barbara, everything is going to be splendid and tomorrow you and Ian will be moving into Sarah Jane's guest room to look after Luke when they leave for Greece."

"I've tried calming her down," Sarah Jane said to the side of them, "But it isn't working."

Rose turned and smiled at Sarah Jane who was standing calmly in front of a large mirror. She was wearing a long and simple white wedding dress with long white gloves. It was a flowing dress that actually looked pretty comfortable to Rose. Sarah Jane's hair was pulled up at the back of her head in a stunning bun with a large white flower in it.

"You look relaxed," Rose observed as she walked over to Sarah Jane. "Better than Barbara by far."

"Well my dear mother-in-law to be is worrying enough for the two of us," Sarah Jane smiled softly. "No matter what happens, this is going to be a wonderful day."

"Let's hope so," Rose said with a nod. "The General is trying to make sure nothing strange or alien happens today."

"I doubt he'd actually be able to prevent it," Sarah Jane replied. "I do hope the Brigider and Benton don't have to leave for anything." 

"Actually he's worried about something here," Rose said before she thought better of it.

"What?"

"Oh nothing," Rose said quickly with a forced smile and shrug.

"Rose Marion Tyler," Sarah Jane said sternly.

"The General is worried about something here because of all the companions in one place."

That comment made Sarah Jane laugh and drew Barbara's attention. "Well if anything is going to happen, I hope it happens now while it is just us here and not later when the other guests arrive. I'd hate to try and explain aliens to my publishing friends."

"Well I'm glad that you're so happy today," Rose said warmly. "I doubt anything could knock you off of this high you're riding." Rose phone started to ring and she flipped it open quickly to see the General mobile number. "Hello?"

"Rose, the Register is here."

"Thanks General," Rose said around a frown, the Register was very early. Rose hung up and turned back to Sarah Jane. "I'll be back once I sort this out."

"Thank you Rose for running around taking care of things," Sarah Jane said.

"What are maids of honor for?" Rose asked with a grin before slipping back into the hallway.

Rose hadn't been expecting the Register to arrive for at least another hour, arriving two hours before the ceremony seemed a bit extreme even if everyone was pretty much ready to go. Sarah Jane had been so energetic early that she and Barbara had just agreed to start getting final preparations moving. Rose blinked as she reached the top of the stairs and saw the person the General was standing with. It was tall dark haired man with sharp features wearing a black suit. The Register that Sarah Jane and Johnny had spoken with had been a female.

"Hello," Rose greeted as she reached the bottom of the stairs. "I'm Rose Tyler."

"Nice to meet you young lady," the man greeted pleasantly. "I'm afraid that Emily was taken ill and I was sent to oversee this marriage."

"Nothing serious I hope," the General said.

"Oh nothing like that, but certainly not a good choice to see to a marriage. You wouldn't want the officiate having to dash out of the room in the middle of vows." The man turned back to Rose, "I am Robert Schreck."

"Nice to meet you Mister Schrekc," Rose greeted holding out her hand "Thank you for filling in then."

"Of course," Schrekc said as he opened a folder he was holding. Rose frowned and let her hand drop to her side. "All the paperwork is in order, I simply wanted to meet the bride and groom before the wedding." He gave Rose a smile, "I certainly wouldn't want to startle Miss Smith on her way down the aisle."

"Uh right," Rose said with a nod. "If you'll just wait here and I'll go and check with Sarah Jane." Rose glanced over into the lounge, "It looks like Johnny is already celebrating with the guests in there."

"I'll start there then," Schrekc said with a nod, "Thank you Miss Tyler."

Rose turned and started to climb the stairs, she glanced back over her shoulder in time to see the General and Schrekc walking into the lounge. She really hoped that there hadn't been any alien conversations going on. Rose knocked on the door and gained entry to find Sarah Jane sitting in a chair with her glasses on a notebook in hand.

"Writing an article?" Rose guessed.

"I just had a some thoughts," Sarah Jane admitted with a smile She looked down at her dress, "Why did I want to get dressed so early?"

"I don't know," Rose said with a shrug, "Barbara and I tried to tell you that you still had hours before the wedding. My guess is that you thought getting into your wedding dress would make time move faster."

"No comment," Sarah Jane replied with a small smile. "So Emily Bates is here? Its really early for her to have arrived."

"Actually apparently Mrs. Bates is sick so another guy came to fill in. Mister… Shrek… or something like that."

"Shrek?" Barbara asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It was a weird name," Rose defended. "Anyway he asked to meet you before the wedding. That okay."

Barbara glanced around the room, "Nothing is out that is a problem."

"That's fine," Sarah Jane said. "What are the others doing?"

"Last time I checked before our guest arrived they were pulling some kind of game where they boasted about adventures and the others tried to decide if they were telling the truth or not."

"Sounds like fun," Sarah Jane said with a sigh.

"It would be interesting if anyone actually had to lie," Rose replied with a smirk. "So far I think everyone has been sticking to actual adventures they had." Rose put her hand on the doorknob, "I'll be back."

"Don't rush," Sarah Jane said. "We've still got hours to go."

"I told you we didn't need to rush," Rose heard Barbara say as she stepped into the hall.

"Johnny and I were worried that something would happen today," Sarah Jane defended. "An invasion or alien plot to take over the world-"

Rose closed the door and shook her head. Walking back towards the main hall, Rose noticed Schrekc waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. He was leaning calmly against the wall and smiled slightly as Rose came into view. Rose glanced back towards the lounge and then back to Schrekc.

"Just a touch noisy for me," Schrekc explained calmly. "I'm not much for crowds and I'd hate to interrupt the fun of friends who don't get together very often."

"Well Sarah Jane says it is fine if you come up," Rose said. "Follow me please."

Rose led the man up to the door of Sarah Jane's room and knocked. Barbara opened the door and allowed them both inside. Mister Schrekc nodded to both Barbara and Sarah Jane. "A pleasure to meet you both today. I am Robert Schrekc, I am filling in due to Mrs. Bates illness."

"I'm Sarah Jane Smith, soon to be Chesterton-Smith. Thank you for coming," Sarah Jane said with a smile as she stood from the chair carefully. "I'm afraid that everything is a bit quiet right now. We started our final preparations a bit early."

"No problem at all," Schrekc said extending his hand. "I don't mind the quiet time at all. I just wanted you to have a chance to meet me before the glorious event."

"Glorious event, I like that," Barbara said with a smile. "I'm Barbara Chesterton, the mother of the groom."

Sarah Jane reached out and took Schrekc's hand. Schrekc smiled, "I imagine that this is very exciting for all of you. Such a wonderful marriage, especially given the remarkable shared memories of the assembled group."

"What do you mean," Sarah Jane asked, a look of slight alarm creeping into her eyes.

"I mean travels in time and space, not often there are so many in one place."

Sarah Jane tried to pull her hand away, but suddenly gave a weak cry. Rose's eyes widened and she summoned her sword as a strange glow surrounded Schrekc and Sarah Jane's hands. Sarah Jane's eyes glazed over and she began to stumbled towards the ground, Barbara grabbed her and tried to pull Sarah Jane's hand lose. Rose glared at Schrekc who was smiling, his eyes glowing red and raised her sword. Swinging, Rose brought the sword against Schrekc's arm that was holding Sarah Jane's hand. The arm vibrated with the impact, forming a strange indent in the arm and Schrekc released Sarah Jane's hand. Rose's eyes widened as the entire arm, including the fabric seemed to reform into its proper shape.

"What on Earth?" Rose gasped as Schrekc turned towards her and looked at the sword.

"Naughty little thing aren't you." He chuckled and held up his hand, "I'm afraid child that it isn't that simple."

Rose held her sword out in front of her and glared, not daring to take her eyes off of the strange creature. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sarah Jane regain her footing, but didn't see Barbara. A second later, Barbara brought a chair down on Schrekc's head. 

"Run!" Barbara shouted, grabbed Sarah Jane's arm and guiding her to the door.

Rose nodded and kept her eyes on Schrekc who was starting to rise, the dent in his head reforming to its pervious appearance. Growling, Rose brought her sword down on his back, watching as the strange form gave way beneath her sword. The body was split in two, but there was no blood or bones. Rose gasped and stepped back towards the door as the two halves started rejoining, the odd texture of the form reaching out to the other half.

"Gross," Rose said as she stepped out in the hall and closed the door. She rushed down the hall where Sarah Jane and Barbara were starting down the stairs.

"Everyone!" Barbara shouted, "We've got trouble."

They reached the main hall and their friends poured out of the lounge to join them. "Do you mean trouble like the old days trouble?" Jo asked with an excited look.

"Definitely that kind of trouble!" Sarah Jane said as she took Johnny's hand and looked over at Luke.

"I knew this would happen," the General huffed as he walked to the front door. He tried pulling it open, but it wouldn't give. "Benton try a window!"

Benton rushed over to one of the windows and tried opening it, but it remained tightly fastened. Rose joined Benton and swung her sword against the glass, but the blade never connected with the glass. Inside there was a dull thrumming in the air as Rose's sword stopped half an inch from the glass.

"No good sir," Benton said as he turned to the General. "Whatever it is, it has us trapped."

"Well," the General sighed, "At least there aren't any civilians here yet."

"No, just a really creepy blob thing that heals itself," Rose muttered. She looked over at the stairs. "It won't be down for long. We need a plan!"

Everyone stopped as a familiar grinding sound echoed in the hallway. Rose grinned and glanced around, trying to pinpoint where the TARDIS would land.

"For once he has good timing," the General muttered, but a smile was pulling at his mouth.

"I wonder why he's coming?" Tegan said with a smirk, "Is it the wedding or the alien?"

"I'd guess the alien," Sarah Jane replied with a smile. "How much time have we got?"

"An hour and thirty-two minutes to the wedding," Ben Jackson answered as the TARDIS finished materializing. "But other guests will start arriving before that."

The TARDIS door opened and Rose grinned as Donna stepped out and caught sight of them. "Uh… I really hope I don't have to explain this."

"Don't worry Donna," Sarah Jane said with a wide smile. "This is the rest of the Companion's Club."

"Really!" Donna grinned and stepped closer, "Oh that is brilliant, I'm Donna Noble."

"Must I remind everyone that we've got a problem," the General said sternly.

Rose looked back at the TARDIS as the brown haired Doctor stepped outside and closed the door. "Anyone know why the TARDIS had trouble materializing?"

"Maybe the same reason that all the doors and windows are sealed Doctor," Benton offered with a smile. "There's a hostile alien inside the building."

"Really?" the Doctor asked in surprise as he looked at the group. "Blimey everyone is here aren't they."

"Doctor?" Tegan asked cautiously. "You regenerated again?"

"Uh… Tegan good to see you, but what are you talking about?"

"Timelines," Rose said quickly in a loud voice. "No one talk about how we met! It's in his future and this is the body before the one you all met last time."

"What?" The Doctor asked, "You're joking right Rose?"

"Sorry, but no Doctor." Rose turned to look at the other companions who all had doubtful worried looks on their faces. "Just think about it. We all know something the Doctor doesn't."

"Oh, that was just mean," the Doctor hissed at Rose. A strange roar from up the stairs caught the Doctor's attention. "And speaking of mean." Rose gasped as the figure of Schrekc stumbled into view at the top of the stairs, roaring again. Out of his back, two large grey wings formed and its face shifted to an almost skull like appearance, except with long horns from the top. The creature's eyes glowed red and glared down at them. "Oh very mean."


	52. The Wedding: Down a Dark Hall

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Fifty-Two: Down a Dark Hall

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Hey, I'm sorry about the wait everyone. I had to travel unexpectedly and that didn't leave any time for writing. As always thank you for the supportive reviews and great energy.

Everything happened really fast all at once. Rose summoned her sword while the Doctor tried to pry the TARDIS doors open as the creature on the stairs shrieked. Risking a glance at the TARDIS, Rose tensed when the Doctor failed to unlock the doors. The Doctor spun towards Schrekc and glared up at him.

"Really did you have to do that?!"

"I must," Schrekc spoke in a voice that was nothing like Rose expected. It was smooth and rhythmic, almost musical. "I must!"

"Must what?" The Doctor asked stepping forward, while gently pushing Donna back to join the other companions.

"Must," Schrekc repeated. "Must!" He started moving towards them.

"Uh," the Doctor glanced around, "Into the lounge!"

Everyone rushed through the door, Benton and the General drawing their pistols. The Doctor slammed the doors and sealed them with the sonic screwdriver. There was pounding and hissing on the door a moment later, but it quickly faded as the creature quieted.

"Well, that wasn't fun," the Doctor said with a frown before he turned back to the group and grin. "Right then, everyone together. Blimey Sarah you look lovely!"

Sarah Jane grinned at him and stepped over next to Johnny. "This is Johnny Chesterton, Doctor."

"Nice to meet you," the Doctor said with a huge grin. "Absolutely brilliant," he shook Johnny's hand and looked around at his companions. "Great to see all of you."

"Doctor?" Victoria asked, "Did you get our messages from Rose?"

"I did," the Doctor told her warmly, "in my last body actually."

Rose shrugged when everyone looked at her, "Like I told you my timelines compared to his are a bit messy."

"This is all very interesting and touching Doctor," the General interrupted, "But alien in the building and maybe an hour to fix it."

"Good to see you too Alistair," the Doctor said with a smirk, "But you are right." The Doctor paused and shifted on his feet uncomfortably, "The problem is that the alien in question is a Terika."

"And a Terika is?" Barbara asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A powerful pacifistic society who use their psychic abilities as counselors," the Doctor said before looking at them all sharply. "They feed on the energy caused by important memories and experiences so when they are working as counselors and people are recounting their trauma they grow stronger while helping drain away some of the negative emotions. It is a symbiotic relationship and they are allowed on pretty much every planet in their native galaxy."

"So it was drawn here because of our shared experiences?" Mel asked. "But it trapped us!"

"Something else is going on here," the Doctor muttered glancing at Rose.

"It kept saying must," Rose recalled with a s nod. "And looked like it was in pain."

"So is it under something else's control?" Donna asked.

"I'm not sure yet," the Doctor admitted. "I can't think of any species that could override a Terika's natural pacific instincts."

"But it could be possible?" the General asked with a stern look.

"Oh it's possible, just not a pleasant idea." The Doctor shook his head, "Right the Terika has activated something that is known as a 'Safety Field' in the practice. It is a forcefield that cuts of access and contact to the outside world to keep any outside influences from entering a session. However, Schrekc's ship has to be inside of the field."

"So we split up to look for it," Benton said, "But what about the Terika?"

"He should come after me once I unseal the doors," the Doctor said, "I've got the most experiences bubbling away in my noggin. The rest of you stay in groups and try to find his ship."

"Then what?"

"Since the 'Safety Field' is up then the ship will be open and you'll be able to see an open green panel. Inside that will be a large green button, just press it to lower the safety field."

"That's it?" Barbara said.

"You have to find it," the Doctor reminded her, "this is a large building and the ship is about the size of a person." The Doctor paused, "And it may be blended in, some Terika's work in war situations and no one is supposed to know they are there."

"Then how do we find it?" Jo asked. 

"Tap anything that looks big enough three times quickly, that's the normal uncloaking method."

"Wonderful," the General said shaking his head. "Absolutely wonderful."

"Two groups then," Sarah Jane said, "Benton with me and Alistair with the others just in case."

"Good, you take care of that and I'll find our friend and see if I can't' figure out who is controlling him and why."

"I'm coming with you space man," Donna said stomping after him.

"Donna-"

"If you're carless and that Schrekc or whatever gets you then wee won't know it!"

"She's right Doctor,' Rose said stepping forward, "I'll go too."

The Doctor looked like he wanted to argue, but seemed to accept that he'd never win. "Fine then, Donna and Rose with me and the rest of you find that ship. Once you do, go outside and wait." He held up his hand to avoid any arguments, "I mean it!"

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and unsealed the door. He opened them carefully to reveal the empty main hall. "Interesting," he muttered stepping outside. "Let's try upstairs first."

Donna nodded and turned and gave a wave to the other companions before following Rose and the Doctor up the stairs.

"You look wonderful Rose," Donna said after they were on the next floor.

"Thank you," Rose said with a smile. "I should have known that my being in a dress would result in problems."

"Now you sound paranoid," Donna remarked with a chuckle.

"Donna, the universe loves throwing aliens at me," Rose said. "So yeah I am a bit paranoid."

The Doctor chuckled and caught Rose's hand with his. She smiled at him, "I'm glad you came, it made Sarah Jane very happy."

"Even though there's an alien?" the Doctor questioned.

"Schrekc was already here," Rose said with a smile. "Besides it just wouldn't be a Companion Club reunion without an alien. We'll fix this, have the wedding and all laugh about it later."

The trio stopped in the hallway as a horrible screaming sound echoed down it. "What's the plan?" Donna demanded.

"I need to get close enough to it to start physic contact," the Doctor said, "Hopefully I can disconnect Schrekc from what is controlling him."

"I wonder if Schrekc is his real name?" Donna mused quietly.

"I doubt it," the Doctor replied. "It isn't a Terika name and it's the surname of the actor that played the vampire in Nosferatu which I suppose makes sense given that he lives on drawing energy out of other creatures. It just normally isn't violent or harmful."

"A physic vampire," Donna muttered. "Lovely thought, thank you so much for that space man."

Rose chuckled and shrugged, "I've never seen that movie."

The Doctor paused and turned to look at her. Very seriously he said, "We'll have to fix that."

"Oi," Donna snapped, "Plan your next date later, deal with physic vampire now."

"She's right," Rose said to the Doctor with a smirk.

"I know what you too get up to when he drops me off to see my family," Donna said with a nod.

The Doctor smiled and shook his head. They turned a corner as another loud snarl echoed down the hallway. 'We're getting close," the Doctor said.

"Any ideas of how to get close?" Donna asked.

"No, I've never seen a Terika act like this," the Doctor admitted. "In reality I'm not completely sure what he might be able to do. Just stay close to me and hopefully the others will find the safety field control soon."

Sarah Jane tapped the altar three times and waited, but nothing happened. She supposed that making the ship look that way would have been too obvious. Turning, Sarah Jane saw Jo running through the room, tapping anything roughly her size.

"I wonder how the General's group is doing?" Victoria said out loud, "Hopefully better than us."

"Alistair took the lower levels," Sarah Jane said, "That's more along the lines where I'd hide a ship."

Benton was watching the doors of the large room with a wary look. He kept adjusting his small radio in hopes that the General would find the ship and shut it down.

"Don't worry so much John," Jo said pleasantly. "The Brigadier, I mean the General, can look after himself and the Chestertons, Tegan and Mel can manage I'm sure."

"We've checked everything in this room," Ace announced with a huff. "Next room. I bet it is in a storage room somewhere, out of the way where they wouldn't be a risk of anyone tapping it."

"Maybe," Sarah Jane said. "But it isn't like people wander around tapping things."

"Children do," Jo said with a wistful smile. "I remember when-"

'Now's not the time Gran," Henry Jones said with a fond smile. "So is it always like this when all of you are together?"

"Actually this is pretty calm," Sarah Jane admitted. "No explosions or screaming yet and only one alien. I guess the universe is being nice."

"Well it is your wedding day," Rani said with a grin. "The universe should be nice."

"Come on," Luke said with a sigh. "Ace is right, we've covered this room. Let's move on."

Benton nodded and carefully opened the door and glanced down the hall. "Alright, it's clear."

Ace rolled her eyes and moved past Benton and towards the next door. Sarah Jane chuckled and shook her head. She motioned for the others to follow her to the next room. Jo, Luke, Rani, Clyde, Henry, Santiago and Benton all followed. This was going to be a long hour.

The Doctor kept trying to track the source of the howls an shrieks from the Terika, but Rose had the sense that it was managing to lead them in circles. This was an interesting feat since the building wasn't really that large, just big.

"How is it doing that?" the Doctor asked as he glanced between two hallways at a crossing point. "I mean this place isn't that big?!"

"Maybe we should split up?" Donna suggested.

"No," the Doctor said. "You're both human and have no defense against physic attack." He looked back towards the main stairs, "I don't want any of you getting close to this thing alone."

Rose nodded and turned to look down one of the side hallways. It was a bit darker and had signs of ongoing restoration work. The old warning of the 'blonde dies first' repeated in her head. "Maybe this way," Rose suggested.

"Why that way?" the Doctor asked.

"We're looking for a psychic vampire right? This way is darker and spookier."

"Is spookier a word?" Donna asked.

"Yes it is," the Doctor said with a nod. "Well I can't argue with that." He dug into his pocket and pulled out a flashlight. "Come on then."

"Finally," Donna muttered, "Something useful in your pockets."

Rose shivered as they stepped into the section being renovated. There was no heat and it was strangely cold for the summer. Of course her dress didn't help matters at all. They heard another scream, this one much closer and Rose called forth her sword.

"That won't do much," the Doctor said.

"I saw that earlier," Rose muttered. "How does it do that?"

"It's complicated," the Doctor said with a sigh, "But Tarika physiology has been altered over the last five thousand years to make it possible for cells of the same genetic makeup to rapidly heal and remerge. Their brains and highly advance to the point that they can survive this."

"So they can't be killed?" Donna gasped.

"Oh they can be killed," the Doctor said with a shrug, "An electric surge through the body limits the cells ability to communicate and reform. Or you can just cut them up and take the pieces far apart."

"I'm worried about how you know that," Donna muttered.

"Nothing like that!" The Doctor defended. "The Tarika were not always peaceful and got into some trouble using their abilities to pose as gods. Fortunately it was discovered that distance was an issue when they tried to reform."

"That sounds familiar," Rose said with a frown.

"Mythology on Earth," the Doctor replied with a chuckle. "You lot attract aliens and the Tarika have only followed their psychic healer path for a thousand years."

"I hate it when you do that," Donna said with a sigh, "Just turn everything I know about Earth upside down."

"That's why I don't study history," Rose said with a chuckle, "I always suspect alien interference," Rose grinned, "And I know that he was around somewhere."

The Doctor suddenly stopped and frowned. He motioned for them to stay still and took a step forward.

"I know that something is hurting you," the Doctor called out, "I can help you. I know that you don't want to hurt anyone. It is against everything you've ever worked for."

Rose heard something to the right and turned towards it, raising her sword. Then there was a push against her head, but it wasn't real. She groaned and stumbled back. Vaguely she heard Donna call for the Doctor and felt the red head catch her.

"Rose!" she heard the Doctor shout.

Her vision blurred for a moment and she felt weightless. Rose forced her eyes open. She was lying in the hallway alone. Forcing herself up, Rose stood with shaky legs and leaned against the wall.

"Doctor?" she called, "Donna?!"

"Hello Rose Tyler," a smooth male voice said behind her.

Rose turned and blinked in surprise. A tall man a little older than her with brown hair and green eyes was standing at the end of the hallway in the light. He was smiling widely at her, "So nice to finally put a face to a name."


	53. The Wedding: Enter the Silver Lord

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Fifty-Three: Enter the Silver Lord

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Yes I am a Princess of Evil Cliffhangers, I accept this, but let's face it stopping anywhere in an episode is basically a cliffhanger. This is a very different episode as some of you have guessed. The next episodes will be the normal straight up adventure format.

"Hello Rose Tyler," a smooth male voice said behind her.

Rose turned and blinked in surprise. A tall man a little older than her with brown hair and green eyes was standing at the end of the hallway in the light. He was smiling widely at her, "So nice to finally put a face to a name."

She didn't move towards the figure, but instead glanced around the hallway. Everything looked the same as before, but Rose didn't trust the sudden arrival of his unknown man.

"Are you Schrekc?" Rose questioned when she looked back at the man and studied him. He was wearing a nicely tailored suit and seemed very relaxed with the situation. His green eyes were bright with amusement and in another other situation Rose would say that he was very attractive.

"No," the man said with a smile, "The Tarika is nearly a conduit between us. When I discovered him trapped on Earth and preforming marriages to gather emotional energy I knew that Sarah Jane's wedding would be the perfect time to finally meet you."

"So whose mind are we in?" Rose asked, trying not to let her nervousness show. "Schrekc's?"

"No, we're in your mind," the man answered and he glanced around the hallway. "This is a bit dark, let's trying something else."

He snapped his fingers and Rose closed her eyes as a bright silver light surrounded them. Opening her eyes, Rose gasped slightly as she found herself sitting across from the strange man at a small elegant dinner table, the sort in expensive restaurants. Except they were alone in a large elegant room.

"Much better, much more my style," the man said picking up a bottle of wine on the table and pouring two glasses. "Do try to relax my dear."

"Why did you want to meet me?" Rose demanded. "And why use this method?"

"I don't have a physical form just yet," the man replied. "And I was becoming impatient to meet you."

"That only answered the second question," Rose said, ignoring the wine the man put in front of her.

"Let's just say that I'm an old friends of the Guardians," the man answered with an almost hungry and feral smile. "And I wanted to meet the great Rose Tyler that they have so much interest in." The man's eyes swept over Rose, "I'll be honest, I'm not sure if they're right or not, but I can't take chances on the subject."

"What are you talking about?" Rose hissed.

The man chuckled and took a sip of his wine before he answered, "It must frustrate you so much to be aware that strings are being pulled around you and being unable to see them."

Rose didn't' answer him, she tried to act calm as she leaned back in her own chair and studied the stranger.

"So what should I call you?" Rose asked.

"My real name isn't something you could pronounce," he said with a smirk, "Not even with the TARDIS' help so how about you call me…. The Silver Lord."

"The Silver Lord," Rose repeated. "That's a bit much isn't it."

"You've got spunk I'll give you that," the Silver Lord replied. "But that won't stop what I'm going to do to you." The Silver Lord paused, "How about this Rose, you walk away from the Doctor and other aliens and I'll leave you alone. Marry that boy Mickey Smith, have 2.5 kids and get a job in research and you won't have to be involved in what is coming."

"What's coming that is so bad?"

"My revenge," the Silver Lord said with a grin. "My revenge against the Guardians and this universe."

"You'd do well in theatre," Rose remarked with a shrug, "You like the dramatic."

"Are you always this impertinent?" the Silver Lord asked.

"I find being impertinent preferable to screaming in terror."

"I'd rather you were screaming in terror," the Silver Lord said.

"I've yet to see any reason to go screaming in terror," Rose said with a shrug.

"I'm in your head Rose," the Silver Lord replied. "Your precious boyfriend is trying to get in, but I'm holding his back. Do you truly not understand what I can do to you here?"

Rose didn't answer, but she felt a cold weight of dread in her stomach. The Silver Lord examined her and smiled slowly. "I think you have some idea and are just trying to stall long enough for your Doctor to save you." The Silver Lord shrugged, "It doesn't matter, I've decided what to do with you now. Not what I originally planned, but it should show the Guardians that I can rip their plans apart."

"Why do you want revenge?" Rose forced herself to ask.

"The Guardians decided long ago that I shouldn't exist," the Silver Lord said. "Hardly my fault that father was a Chronovore and Mum was an Eternal."

"What did they do?"

"They shoved me into the Void," the Silver Lord said, a strange glint in his eyes. "My mother's kind call in the Howling, my father's kind called it the "Nothing". It is the emptiness between universes. Time isn't real there and only a few tiny fragments of anything exists there." The Silver Lord leaned forward, "Imagine endless time with absolutely nothing to see, do, feel, taste or touch forever. That is what they did to me."

"Just because you were a hybrid?" Rose asked in a soft voice.

"Well, my natural instincts may have threatened the continued existence of the universe," he answered with a shrug. "The Leader of the Guardians, the Gold Lady herself, thought that the Void would be a mercy for me rather than destroying me."

"Ah, that would explain the name the Silver Lord."

"You're dating a man who chose his own name," the Silver Lord said with a shrug. "Anyway I owe the Guardians a lesson and you'll do nicely."

"Sorry, I'm not interested in playing your games," Rose replied. "How did you escape anyway?" She asked, wondering if he could still be trapped away.

"A marvelous set of humans are poking at something they don't understand," the Silver Lord answered with a smile. "A "black spot" I believe they are calling it."

Rose glanced around the room as it suddenly shimmered. "And there is the boyfriend breaking through, he's not being very careful," the Silver Lord said with a shake of his head. "He really should know better when dealing with the brain of a human."

Rose almost felt like she was being pulled, there was a pressure in her mind drawing her away from this man. She stood from her chair and looked around at the fading scene. Part of here really wanted to go, but another part of her was worried about leaving right now. The Silver Lord was far too calm.

"Time to go my dear," the Silver Lord said rising from the table just before it vanished. "I'm about to be ejected, but this was a pleasant conversation." He sighed, "Pity you won't remember it."

"What?!" Rose demanded.

"Well I can't have you going back to the Doctor and telling him all about this, he still might find a way to stop me."

"So you just like hearing yourself talk?"

"No Rose darling," the Silver Lord said, "You'll remember when I want you too, you'll see how completely outdone you and the Doctor were and how hopeless your situation really is when I wish you to." The Silver Lord smirked and stepped closer, Rose held her ground unwilling to show fear. "I've done what I needed to do Bad Wolf and you'll only remember two words: Silver Lord." Then he grabbed Rose's arm and pulled her against him, sealing his lips against hers. Rose struggled and then she woke up.

"Rose," the Doctor's warm and worried voice asked.

She forced her eyes to open, they felt heavy like she was waking up from a long deep sleep. The Doctor's fingers brushed her check and her eyes met his. "Silver Lord," Rose whispered in confusion.

"Rose?"

"I don't know," Rose said as she carefully sat up. The Doctor was holding her in his arms gently and Donna was sitting next to them. Schrekc was lying next to Donna and was slowly stirring himself. Donna looked over at him and then back at the Doctor.

"Should I hit him?"

"No," the Doctor said. "I don't think he was himself. Whatever was using him to establish a connection to Rose was pushed out by me." The Doctor looked back to Rose, "Do you remember anything?"

"No," Rose said looking around in confusion, "We were in the hallway looking for Schrekc and there was a noise." She shook her head, "That's it."

"Silver Lord," the Doctor said with a frown. "You've never mentioned that name before in the videos or to me."

"What name?" Rose asked, "Silver Lord? Where did that come from?"

"You said it when you woke up," Donna explained gently. "Don't you remember?"

"What happened to me?" Schrekc asked as his eyes opened. "Why am I-" His eyes widened and he leapt to his feet.

Rose found it hard to be afraid of the strange alien form with it looking so confused between them. It calmed down a moment later and its form shifted back to the humanoid shape it had arrived at the building in. "I did something didn't I."

"Does the name Silver Lord mean anything to you?" the Doctor asked, not moving from his place with Rose.

"Silver Lord, yes, I know that name," Schrekc said. "But I don't know how."

"You're a Tarika," the Doctor said. "Did you crash on Earth?"

"Yes," the Tarika answered, "I am working as a wedding register to gather emotional energy to recharge my ship."

"What's your real name?" the Doctor asked.

The alien rambled off a long string of sounds that made Rose's head ache. The Doctor nodded and repeated it. "But I think for the humans we should keep using Schrekc."

"Of course," Schrekc answered shifting nervously on his feet and looking at Rose. "Did I do that?"

"Sort of," the Doctor answered, "But you were being controlled."

"My kind is not easy to control," Schrekc said looking around nervously. "What could do that?" 

"A few things," the Doctor answered as he helped Rose to her feet, "None of them pleasant."

"I'm fine," Rose said with a smile to reassure both Schrekc and the Doctor. "The connection must have been broken before anything could happen."

"Maybe," the Doctor said in a low tone.

There was a sudden burst of noise down the hallway and Rose along with the others spun as the companions darted around the corner. The General raised his gun towards Schrekc, but didn't fire as he looked at the Doctor.

"Put it away Alistair," the Doctor said. "Everything is fine. Schrekc here was under another's control and I've ended that connection."

"Oh you poor dear," Jo Jones said, shaking her head as she walked closer to Schrekc. "Let's get you a nice cuppa, uh you can drink tea right?"

"Indeed, madam," Schrekc answered looking rather confused. "Perhaps that and sitting down would be a good idea."

"Excellent, just come with me," Jo said leading Schrekc back to the other companions, ignoring the General's stunned look.

"She never changes," the Doctor said with a smile. "That's brilliant." 

Sarah Jane walked towards them, studying Rose. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Sarah Jane," Rose promised with a smile. "Just a bit of a turn." Rose looked over at Donna, "What time is it?" 

"We're fine," Sarah Jane assured Rose. "We shut down the force field and came to find you since we hadn't heard anything." She gave the Doctor a hard look and he shifted on his feet.

"This ended up being slightly different than usual," the Doctor answered with a shrug. "Come on then Sarah, let's make sure that your register is good to go so you can get married." The Doctor paused, "Strangely Earth is one of the planets were I do not have the authority to marry people."

"I'm not sure I'd want you in control of the ceremony," Sarah Jane told him with a smile. She took Rose's hand and said, "Come on, let's get cleaned up."

Rose looked up at the Doctor, "I am alright aren't I?"

"I didn't detect anything was wrong when I woke you up," the Doctor told her with a smile, but it was a touched forced. Rose nodded and reached down to squeeze his hand.

"I'll see you later then," Rose told him before she nodded to Sarah Jane and they walked down the hall to join the others. Donna glanced at the Doctor who nodded to her and she followed them.

"Doctor, about the alien-" the General began to say.

"I'll fix his ship once the wedding is over so he can leave," the Doctor said. "Don't worry about it."

"Worrying about it is my job," the General replied as they began to say.

"Why don't you retire again," the Doctor said.

"Because I still need to convince Geneva to name Benton as my successor," the General said. "The other candidates just aren't ready to take the lead."

"John is a good choice," the Doctor agreed as they came to the main staircase. "Plus he gets along well with Rose."

"That is one of Geneva's concerns," the General said with a sigh, "They worry he'll give her too much freedom."

"Well no one is perfect," the Doctor said, "But Rose likes him enough that she'll actually listen to him and then go and do what she things she has to." The Doctor grinned, "Otherwise she'll just ignore whoever is in charge and still go and do what she wants."

"Speaking from experience?"

"A bit," the Doctor answered with a smile before his face darkened. "Alistair, something tried to connect to Rose and I'm not sure how successful it was so just…"

"I'll keep an eye on her," Alistair promised with a nod. "She's back in London for a while and will be helping Malcolm in the lab so he can let me know if anything is off."

"Thank you," the Doctor said. He looked over into the lounge where his companions were sitting and speaking with Schrekc. Barbara was dusting off the back of Sarah Jane's dress and fixing up her hair. Tegan and Victoria were fixing Rose's dress and hair.

"That girl means a lot to you," Alistair observed.

"They all mean a lot to me," the Doctor said quickly. "They are my friends."

"Indeed," Alistair said, but he had a thoughtful look on his face. "Come on then Doctor."

"So you crashed here?" Jo asked Schrekc as she poured him more tea. "Oh you poor dear. That must have been terrifying."

Schrekc looked absolutely stunned, but nodded. "Indeed, I was able to create an identity and start working as a wedding register. Emotions run so high at weddings that I was able to collect enough energy to maintain my health and start recharging my ship."

"Why didn't you work as a therapist?" Tegan asked. "The Doctor said that your people travel the universe to help people that way."

"We travel to planets that know us," Schrekc answered. "But humans don't know about my kind and could not give proper consent to have me work with them as such. A register position merely allowed me to be in the right area at the right time to survive." He flushed, "I became aware of Sarah Jane's unique history when she was in the building getting her license. Thus I was able to convince the other register to switch with me. I hoped that this wedding would provide enough energy to let me leave."

"You knew that I knew about aliens?" Sarah Jane asked.

"You were projecting your excitement," Schrekc explained with a slight blush. "About not just getting married, but having all your alien club friends with you. I am very sorry for the problem this caused."

"No matter," Sarah Jane said calmly. "Something had to happen with all of us together, better something easily solved. Hopefully the wedding and reception will recharge your ship." Sarah Jane looked over at the Doctor.

The Doctor shrugged and picked up a biscuit, "Should work." Sarah Jane's look was joined by Jo, Tegan, Victoria and Barbara. "Uh I'll go and check on the ship." He turned and headed towards the door while the companions grinned. A moment later he stuck his head back in, "Where is it by the way?"

"Basement, second door to the right, it is the large work table. And don't forget to move the TARDIS," Sarah Jane said. "The guests will be arriving soon."

"This is why you lot shouldn't be together," the Doctor muttered, ignoring Donna laughing in her chair and the others' smirking. "This must never be allowed again," he muttered as he headed for the basement.


	54. The Wedding: ChestertonSmiths

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Fifty-Four: Chesterton-Smiths

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: I thought this episode would run long, but it has turned out a bit fluffier that I thought it would. This is last chapter of this episode. I will being episode twelve next with Rose visiting Ace in New York City!

Sarah Jane was pacing in the back room, listening to the voices in the main hall. Finally after hours of preparation and dealing with an alien the wedding was about to start. The Doctor slipped into the back room and leaned against the door with a sigh.

"Okay the ship is ready and is starting to recharge itself. There was slight damage in the-"

"Thank you Doctor," Sarah Jane interrupted with a smile.

"Right, rambling," the Doctor said with a nod, straightening up. "Have I told you yet Sarah that you look beautiful?"

Sarah Jane grinned, pleased, "Thank you Doctor." She glanced at his pinstripe suit, but the Doctor cut her off.

"No, I'll not change into a tux or anything like that, trust me you don't want that. Every time I'm in a tux something bad happens."

"I'll remember that," Rose said with a nod. "Wear sturdy shoes and carry extra supplies when you're dressed formally."

"That explains the transdimensional clutch that you found," the Doctor said with a thoughtful look. "Anyway it's almost show time." He stepped up to Sarah Jane and kissed her forehead and grinned at her, "I am so pleased for you and I know that you're going to be very happy."

"Thank you," Sarah Jane answered, looking happy and a little tearful.

The Doctor then moved over to Rose, took her hand and kissed it. Rose smiled despite herself until he said, "Don't trip Rose."

"Doctor!" Sarah Jane scolded.

"What?" The Doctor asked. "I've see her in heels! Combat boots are Rose's natural footwear, not heels."

"Oh go find a seat," Rose said giving the Doctor a push towards the door. "Donna will keep you under control."

The Doctor pouted slightly, but turned and headed for the door. "There is cake later right?" He asked, spinning back to Sarah Jane.

"Yes Doctor," Sarah Jane answered, "There is cake, send Luke in."

The Doctor nodded and left the room. Sarah Jane laughed gently and shook her head. "He may change, but that energy is always there."

"Very true," Rose agreed with a smile. "And that manic look."

Rose stepped towards the door and carefully looked out, Luke was waiting by the door and slipped into the room at Rose's signal. "Ready Mum?" Luke asked Sarah Jane with a large smile.

"Yes," Sarah Jane answered with a nod, taking Luke's arm. "Rose," Sarah Jane said turning to her maid of honor as Rose stepped out into the hall. "Don't trip."

"You lot are making me self-conscious," Rose said with a sigh before she stepped into the view of the crowd as the music began with a smile.

She didn't trip despite the Doctor and Sarah Jane's concerns. In fact the entire wedding went perfectly. Johnny grinned at the sight of Sarah Jane coming up the aisle, Rose remembered to take her bouquet and the Doctor behaved himself. Most of the guests had no idea of what had been the prelude to the wedding, but the companions just kept smiling at Schrekc and the couple.

"Sarah Jane, I take you to be my wife from this time onward, to share all that is to come, to be your faithful husband, to give and to receive, to speak and to listen until death parts us," Johnny said warmly to Sarah Jane, gently brushing the ring he'd just put on her finger.

"Jonathan Chesterton, I take you to be my husband from this time onward, to share all that is to come, to be your faithful wife, to give and to receive, to speak and to listen until death parts us."

Schrekc declared them married, they shared their first kiss as a married couple and smiling widely Schrekc looked out to the crowd. "Family and Friends I present to you Jonathan and Sarah Jane Chesterton-Smith."

Rose joined in the cheering as Sarah Jane and Johnny walked back down the aisle, heading out the wedding hall to the reception room. The companions cheered the loudest and Jo hugged Barbara tightly. Rose sighed in relief and looked over at Schrekc who looked as relieved as she felt. Following the newlyweds out with Luke, Rose grinned at her friends and winked at the Doctor.

"See," Johnny said to Sarah Jane as they reached the main. "Nothing else happened."

"That was great Mum," Luke said stepping forward to hug his mother. "Dad," he said turning to Johnny who grinned and hugged the teenager. The guests began to spill out of the wedding hall and towards the reception room. Sarah Jane accepted hugs and kisses while Johnny shook hands. The photographer came forward and Barbara grabbed Rose's arm, steering her towards the area that had been set aside for the photos. Glancing over her shoulder, Rose spotted the Doctor leaning against the wall, watching the proceeding with a small smile. Against her will, her mind went back to the ring that the Eleventh Doctor had been wearing. She wondered if it really was a wedding ring.

After what felt like an hour of smiling and posing, Rose was able to slip into the reception room and find the Doctor. He was pouting at a table with Donna at the far side of the room. At the same table was Ace, Jo, Tegan, Polly and Ben which probably explained the Doctor's discomfort. Walking towards them, Rose found the other companions scattered throughout the room chatting with each other. A loud cheer filled the room and Rose turned to see Sarah Jane and Johnny entering the room, both of them smiling widely. They were followed by the Chestertons and Luke.

"They look very happy," the Doctor's voice said right behind her. "Good."

"They'll be fine," Rose said without turning around as she clapped. "It will be a bit odd having Johnny on Bannerman Road, but it will be nice."

"Well I suppose it would be a pain for you to move Spock at this point," the Doctor said stepping up next to her.

"Move Spock, Luke would have to leave Clyde and Rani, Sarah Jane would have to pack up all her stuff." Rose shook her head, "Wouldn't have worked, Sarah Jane's a bit of a collector."

"I remember," the Doctor said with a chuckle. "She left her clothes on the TARDIS and filled her suitcase with everything she had collected."

"Wise choice," Rose said as the clapping became to calm. "I'm afraid that I still have maid of honor duties."

"Save me a dance," the Doctor said and Rose raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't you worried about them figuring out about us?"

"Not really," the Doctor said, "Ian and Alistair have been giving me questioning looks for awhile now and the others will figure I'm using you to escape my old companions."

"They're not that bad," Rose said, defending the club.

"In groups they are," the Doctor said with a shudder, "There should be a limit for how many of you lot can be together at once."

"Who's going to enforce that?" Rose teased, "You?" 

She grinned and turned away from the Doctor, joining the wedding party table to begin the reception officially. Her seat was next to Barbara who was happily chatting with Sarah Jane. Ian sat on Johnny's side with Luke. Rose looked across the room, she only knew some of the people. Sarah Jane and Johnny had also invited people they worked with and knew from school who seemed to be having little reunions through the room. Her eyes went back to the Doctor who was talking with the General, Benton and Ben Jackson.

The afternoon was a rush of more activity and Rose couldn't quite focus on the details of it. Lunch was pleasant and the speeches were brief, she even managed not to ramble when she gave her speech and toast. Luke managed not to stutter even though he looked very nervous and then the cake was cut. Rose slipped away from the main table to join the companions and Luke found Clyde and Rani who hugged him.

The Doctor looked over at Rose as Mel began speaking at him again and mouthed the word 'help'. Rose grinned and looked at Donna who looked like she wanted to burst out laughing, but dutifully walked over to Mel and asked a question. Walking over to the Doctor, Rose took his hand. 

"I believe you owe me a dance," Rose said with a smirk.

"Yes," the Doctor said backing away from Mel who was turning her attention to Donna. "Yes I do."

The Doctor tightened his grip on Rose's hand and pulled her out to the dance floor where many couples including the new Chesterton-Smiths, the Chestertons and the Jacksons were dancing.

"Thank you," the Doctor said as he pulled Rose close. "I adore Mel, I just forget how…"

"Chatty?" Rose suggested.

"Yes, chatty works," the Doctor smiled, "She hasn't changed much."

"Mel isn't someone who feels like she needs to change," Rose said with a shrug. "She's happy being the way she is." Rose paused, "So you watched the videos?" 

"Right after you gave them to me," the Doctor said, "My curiosity was too strong." He swallowed, "Thank you for that, it helped."

"I worry about that you," Rose said gently. "Sometimes I feel guilty for making you wait."

"Don't," the Doctor said. "Back then I was able to look forward to traveling with you while I tried to…. adjust to everything that happened. Just knowing that you knew as much as you did and weren't, well that you still wanted to travel with me helped. It helped a lot."

"Good," Rose said, swallowing and blinking to avoid crying. "I'm glad. It helped them too you know, to be able to communicate with you after so long."

"I don't usually look back," the Doctor said tensely, looking over at a table full of his smiling and laughing friends. "I suppose I'm worried about what I'll find."

"Like I said when I gave it to you, inspiration is your legacy." The Doctor gave Rose a warm and loving look that made her flush and smile. "You're welcome," she said quietly. She looked over at the tables that the companions had taken over, "They're staring at us."

"Tell them I was trying to find out about how all of you met," the Doctor said with a sigh. "I seriously have to regeneration again before I find out?" 

"Yes," Rose said with a nod. "Timelines."

"You have a very cruel teasing side to you Miss Tyler," the Doctor scolded.

"I wonder where I learned that," Rose countered with a raised eyebrow. "Maybe from the strange alien who jumps in and out of my life at different periods with different faces." Rose grinned, "I give as good as I get, Doctor."

"True," the Doctor sighed. "Well, I should be off before anything slips." The Doctor paused, "I'll see you as soon as I can."

"I'll be leaving on a trip in a few weeks," Rose told him. "Ace asked me to visit her in New York and Jo insisted that I come to South America and see her."

"Busy girl then," the Doctor said with a smile. "Well enjoy your trip."

"I will," Rose said, "Course Malcolm isn't happy that I won't be around to help him in the lab."

"Are you sorry about that?" the Doctor asked.

"A little," Rose admitted with a shrug. "It's not like the UNIT lab is ever dull."

The Doctor smiled and nodded, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently before stepping back and motioning for Donna. Rose watched as he and red head waved to the companions and walked out the door. After a moment, Rose rejoined the companions, ignoring a look from the General.

Jo leaned across the table and asked, "What did you talk about?"

"He wanted to know the story of how we met each other," Rose answered with a chuckle, "he was irritated when I refused to tell him."

"Oh so it's alright if he won't tell us about the future, but he wants to know it," Tegan observed with a shake of her head. "Typical."

"I think it was more we all knew something he didn't," Ace said with a grin. "The Professor always wants to know everything."

"True," Jo agreed with a grin. She then looked back out at the dance floor where Sarah Jane and Johnny were still spinning "But I think it did him good to see this."

"Agreed," Tegan said before she lifted her glass. "To the Doctor."

Everyone followed her example, lifting their glasses and toasting the Doctor. Rose paused and listened, she thought that she heard the familiar wheezing noise over the music for just a moment as the Doctor departed.


	55. Mayhem at the Met: Companion Concerns

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Fifty-Five: Companion Concerns

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Episode 12 and a location outside of the UK, should be fun! I've done a bunch of work on The Blonde Girl to clean things up a bit and finally named those episodes.

It says something very interesting about Rose Tyler that in early July she was sitting in the living room of a New York City penthouse, looking out the skyline of the city with a former companion of her boyfriend the Doctor , named Dorothy McShane handing her a glass of wine. Rose herself wasn't sure exactly what that said about her life, but she certainly liked it.

"Sorry I had to leave you on your own today," Ace said as she sat down in Rose and sipped her own glass of wine.

"Don't worry about it Ace," Rose answered with a shrug. "I'm a big girl and I can handle a little sightseeing on my own."

"Still, I invited you," Ace answered.

"And I am loving my trip so far," Rose said raising her glass in a toast. "Thanks for inviting me."

"No problem," Ace said with a grin, "Us companions have to stick together."

"That certainly makes things easier," Rose agreed. She began aware of Ace observing her carefully. "I don't ever drink enough to get drunk," Rose said, "So go ahead and ask whatever questions you have."

"You'll answer them?" Ace asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe," Rose said setting down her wineglass on the side table and sinking back into the sofa. "I won't take offense at you asking."

"Alright," Ace replied, settling back into her side of the sofa. "You seem really close to the Doctor and he's very tactile with you, way more than he ever was with me and judging from the comments the others made at Sarah Jane's wedding more than he was with them."

Rose was silent for a moment before she spoke. "That has less to do with me and more to do with what he's gone through," Rose said finally. "I get the impression that back when you lot traveled with him, he wanted to have you alone and enjoyed the company." Rose swallowed. "Since the Time War… he needs people more. He doesn't have his connection to Gallifrey so he depends on his companions more." Rose picked up her wine and took another sip. "And since I can cope with regeneration, multiple incarnations and weird timelines, I'm someone easy to form that connection he needs with."

Ace nodded and looked out the window for a moment before she spoke, "I really hate the knowledge that the Daleks were able to destroy Gallifrey." Rose didn't correct her assumption. "I mean they are terrifying, that absolute belief that no other life matters…" Ace shuddered at whatever memory had come to the surface. "Believe me Rose, nothing any of us can tell you will really prepare you for the Daleks." 

"I believe you," Rose answered softly. "I'm not looking forward to it."

"I wonder if he regrets not destroying the Daleks when they were created," Ace said, still staring out the window. "In a way I wish Sarah Jane had never told us about that."

"Could you do it?" Rose asked Ace. "Destroy an entire species for a crime they haven't done yet?" 

"The Daleks..." Ace paused, "Yeah, I think I could." 

"I couldn't," Rose said shaking her head. "I'd be too worried about what came next, what followed in that precedent."

"You think it's wrong?" Ace asked.

"Something on that scale…. yeah I think it's wrong," Rose said finally. "I mean humans have done a lot of horrible things, but I can't imagine us justifying destroying the Spanish civilization for their future crimes against the Aztecs, or killing all of the early Christians because of later Catholic crimes."

"We'll see if that changes after you meet a Dalek," Ace observed.

"I hope not," Rose said, "I don't like the idea of letting a Dalek change me like that."

Ace smiled and laughed. "I can see why he likes you." She stretched out and put her feet up on the coffee table. "Rebellion, intelligence and curiosity with strong moral fiber, the recipe for a companion of the Doctor."

"Sounds about right," Rose said, "But you forgot patience."

"Oh that's a good one too," Ace agreed. "Course I didn't have much patience back then, it was more he had patience with me." She smiled fondly. "I was quite a handful."

"Pity we'll never get to meet Susan," Rose said with a sigh, "I can only imagine what kind of stubbornness she must have had given her gene pool."

"It's still hard for me to imagine the Doctor like that," Ace confessed, "I mean a grandchild and a family." Ace laughed and shook her head, "Can you imagine the Doctor in a romantic relationship?" 

"Given what I know about Gallifrey, his marriage wasn't really romantic," Rose answered, trying to mask her nervousness at Ace's question.

"Seriously?" Ace asked. "He's talked about that with you?" 

"He's known me since I was eleven," Rose said. "I've known him for a large chuck of my life," she shrugged, "I guess he feels comfortable with me and it was more of just a mention when I asked him about Susan."

"I suppose," Ace said, "But Ian did say something funny at the wedding after the Doctor left and you were away from the table."

"What's that?" Rose asked.

"He said that the next Doctor, you know the young one with the brown hair and bowtie had a wedding ring on."

"He's an alien Ace," Rose said, "It may mean something else to him or it may have been an important gift from a different culture."

"That's what Barbara said," Ace agreed with a nod, "But wouldn't it be weird if Ian were right?"

Rose wondered if this was some kind of weird test cooked up by Ace and the others. Maybe the Doctor being so at ease with her and kissing her forehead in public had raised suspicions.

"It wouldn't bother me," Rose said. "I like the Doctor and he seems a bit lonely to me. Like I said he needs people around him now rather than just wanting them and maybe he finds someone who can stay with him for the long run." Rose shrugged. "I mean most companions leave after only a few years, if that. It's got to get hard to keep saying goodbye."

Ace had a strange look on her face. "Maybe you're right," Ace said. "I have a hard time thinking about the Doctor I knew like that, but since meeting everyone I do have to admit that he's more complicated than I ever realized."

"I just wish him the best," Rose said cheerfully, "and if he is married in the future then good for him, he deserves to be happy."

"True." Ace refilled their wine glasses and raised hers. "Here's to the Doctor being a little bit selfish and making himself happy down the road."

Rose clinked her glass against Ace and took a sip just as Ace added, "Can you imagine what she'd have to be like to put up with being married to the Doctor? I mean regeneration, multiple incarnations and weird timelines…" Ace trailed off as she realized that she had quoted Rose's earlier words.

Rose ignored the slightly stunned look that passed over Ace's face, quickly followed by a suspicious one and then that look was replaced by a worried one. Standing up, Ace snatched up the New York tourist book that Rose had left on the kitchen table and came back. She handed it to Rose and asked, "Well you've done the open top bus thing, the Statue of Liberty and Times Square, what do you want to do tomorrow?

"Uh," Rose was a bit surprised by the sudden change of conversation, but was also grateful for it. "The weather is supposed to be rainy tomorrow so how about the art museum," Rose suggested. "How about we go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art."

"Ah, the Met it is then," Ace said with a chuckle. "You do know that the British Museum as pretty much the same stuff right?"

Rose raised an eyebrow and Ace fell silent, "I suppose it is kind of a rule that you have to visit at least one museum when you travel." Ace laughed, "Well only a rule on Earth, traveling with the Doctor is rarely that quiet."

"You never went to a museum?"

"The opposite in fact," Ace said. "The Doctor was determined to educate me and took me to museums all over the place, I didn't care for them much back then."

"Shame," Rose said with a shake of her head, "Although I can only do museums occasionally." Rose yawned and rolled her shoulders. Ace glanced over at the clock.

"Why don't you turn in," Ace offered. "You had a busy day and it is late."

"Actually," Rose said looking over at the clock, "It's early." Standing up, she took her empty wine glass to the sink and rinsed it out. "Night Ace, I'll see you in the morning."

"But not too early," Ace said. "Saturdays are for sleeping in."

"Whatever you say," Rose chuckled before she vanished into the loo to get ready for bed.

Ace stood up and went to the kitchen. She washed the wineglasses and the dishes they had used for their takeout Chinese food. Keeping an ear out for Rose, Ace debated with herself for a few minutes until she heard the guest bedroom door close. She finished cleaning up the kitchen before walking over to the desk she kept tucked at the far side of the man room. Ace switched on her laptop and doubled checked the time. It was early in England, but she had learned over their video calls that Ian Chesterton was an early riser. Pulling up her video conference software, Ace placed the call request and waited.

A moment later her screen changed and Ian Chesterton appeared with a cup of tea in hand and in his dressing gown. "Ah, good morning Dorothy," he greeted with a smile.

"I've told you Ian-"

"I know, to just call you Ace, but I've always found your name wonderfully ironic."

"Laugh it up," Ace grumbled, "Yeah my name is Dorothy and I was whisked away from Earth by a storm."

"And helped to overthrow many evil creatures," Ian added with a smile. "Is everything alright with Rose? She's only been there two days; surely she hasn't managed to find aliens yet."

"It's not that," Ace paused and glanced back towards the guest bedroom. "Look you mentioned the wedding ring, I was just curious…"

"Did Rose say something?" Ian asked leaning forward, curiosity clear on his face.

"Sort of," Ace said, tugging at a strand of her brown hair nervously, "We were talking about the possibility of the Doctor being married in the future. Rose was evasive and nervous," Ace sighed, "And when we were talking about what a woman married to him would have to be like I sort of quoted Rose's description of herself and it got me thinking…"

"I've wondered the same thing," Ian said. "He is very different with her than he is with anyone else that we know who has traveled with him. Alistair has noticed something as well, even if he hasn't said anything."

"What do you suspect?" Ace asked.

Ian took a sip of his tea and seemed to debate if he should answer the question. "Her relationship with the Doctor is… unusual when compared to all the others in the group and given that she met him as a child…"

"You think he's manipulating her," Ace said with a huff. "Well he's capable of that."

"Ace," Ian said kindly, "Do not apply your history with the Doctor onto Rose." Ian paused, "It worries me since he came into her life so young. While I do not for one moment believe that the Doctor would groom someone to be a lover, he might consider trying to train an ideal companion."

"And what? Fall in love with his creation?" Ace asked uncomfortably.

"I don't know Ace," Ian said. "While I do like and trust the Doctor, he doesn't always operate on a morality that I claim to understand." Ian sighed and leaned back in his chair, looking tired despite the face he had just woken up. "I think that someone is manipulating events around Rose, at least to a small degree. Otherwise I don't know how you could explain all the alien occurrences around her."

Ace nibbled at her lip and then said, "I'll see if I can find out anything."

"It isn't our business," Ian said.

"You're watching," Ace pointed out.

"She's a student of mine," Ian defended. "Just be careful not to alienate her. Sarah Jane made an odd reference to something that happened at Christmas, but then changed the subject. There is something uncomfortable here so watch it."

"Rose is like a little sister to me," Ace said. "I'll be careful, but I need to make sure that I don't need to smack the Doctor."

"You haven't met Rose's mother yet have you," Ian said with a smile before he nodded. "Well, I wish you luck and a gentle touch." Ian gave Ace a hard look, "And I trust that you know not to discuss this further. If the others haven't noticed anything odd and Rose isn't in danger I don't want to be broadcasting it." 

"I won't," Ace promised with a nod. "I swear on my Nitro-10 recipe." 

Ian sighed and reached to turn off the link, "That vow does not inspire confidence Ace."


	56. Mayhem at the Met: Mummies on Parade

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Fifty-Six: Mummies on Parade

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Two things! One: I dedicate this episode to saturngurl123 who sent me an incredible corrections list that I am using to clean up this story. So far episodes 1 and 2 have been cleaned up and the others will follow soon. Two: I am trying to decide what to do with Christmas episodes. With thirteen episodes to each season, I just can't keep up with real month time so I'm considering doing the Christmas episodes as stand-alone specials, but I'm not sure if that would negatively impact the flow of the series. Please either leave your thoughts in a review or go to my profile and vote.

"I give you the Met!" Ace said dramatically, gesturing to the large building, "Properly called the Metropolitan Museum of Art."

"The largest art collection in the United States," Rose finished, reading from her New York highlights book. "Sounds interesting."

"I suppose," Ace said as she looked up at the building. "You know that I've lived in New York City for ten years and never come here."

"That's sad," Rose said with a shake of her head. She gazed up at the large building with its large arches and columns, but closed her eyes and looked away to rub them. Maybe there was something in the air or it was dry compared to London.

"Well, you know how it is Rose; you explore the far reaches of the universe, but not your own backyard," Ace answered with a shrug, rubbing her own eyes distractedly.

Rose had expected a crowd because of the weather, but there was no line. Perhaps it was simply too early in the day, despite their conversation neither Rose nor Ace had slept very late. Ace bought them their tickets while Rose snatched up two maps, one for herself and one for Ace. The older woman raised an eyebrow when Rose handed it to her.

"If the Mona Lisa Incident taught me one thing, it was if you can get a map then get a map."

Ace just smiled, folded up the map and tucked into her back pocket.

As usual in a museum such as this one, banners hung around the main hall to advertise the special exhibitions. One in particular with a lion headed figure caught Rose's eye and she walked over to get a better look.

"The Art of Sekhmet," Ace read from the banner. "Looks Egyptian." 

"It would be," Rose said automatically. "Sekhmet was the Egyptian warrior goddess and known as the "Eye of Ra". She was a powerful goddess, sometimes even worshipped as the destroyer, but was also associated with healing."

"You know Egyptian mythology?"

"Apep is an enemy of mine, remember?" Rose replied.

"So you studied all of the deities?"

"Seemed the thing to do at the time," Rose answered with a shrug. "Plus Sarah Jane's own encounter with an Osirian indicates that most, if not all of the Egyptian Pantheon were both real and aliens."

"We'll have to check it out later then," Ace said as she looked around. "Pick a direction," she told Rose.

"That way," Rose said pointing to the left of the main hall. She had picked a random direction, but wasn't displeased when she and Ace walked into the Greek and Roman artwork.

"Did you ever visit Ancient Greece or Rome?" Rose asked in a low voice as they passed a few people.

"Oh sure," Ace said, "Like I said the Doctor wanted to educate me so he took me to Ancient Rome in the Republic Age."

"Did you like it?"

"I didn't hate it," Ace answered, "But like a lot of time periods there are things that don't sit well and others that you like." Ace smiled as she looked at a statue. "I did love the forums in Rome, the atmosphere was incredible. A bit like a rock concert before it starts."

"Rock concert and Ancient Rome," Rose said with a chuckle, "interesting image combination."

"Have the Doctor take you to one of their triumphs someday," Ace said, glancing at Rose. "You'll see that it isn't as strange as you think."

"Mental note made," Rose said as she looked at a vase. Then Rose turned and looked back towards the front door. "It is really quiet here," Rose observed.

"Yeah," Ace agreed. "I figured it would be a lot busier on a summer Saturday."

A bust of a gorgon made Rose chuckle and shake her head. Ace gave her a knowing smirk and winked to Rose as a guard gave them an odd look.

"Excuse me," Rose said walking up to the guard, "Is it usually this quiet here?"

"No," the guard said with an expression crossing his face. "Attendance has been at a record low for the last week. It's really odd and with the weather forecast today it is strange not to have a larger crowd."

"Oh," Rose said with a frown. Ace grabbed her arm and steered her away. "What?" Rose asked as the older woman led her into the African art department.

"Don't go looking for trouble," Ace scolded.

"You are not one to talk Ace."

"I don't have any Nitro with me," Ace muttered. "Remarkably, a lot of people don't like me carrying that around."

"You need a bag with a perception filter on it," Rose said with a smile.

"Like the TARDIS?" Ace asked, "The Doctor told me about that once."

"Oh perception filters can be small," Rose told her. "He hasn't told me much about how they really work, but he rambles a bit."

"You see him a lot don't you," Ace observed calmly as they stopped in front of a display.

"I use conversations to help me place timelines," Rose said calmly. "It helps me figure the Doctor out which is good when you know multiple versions." Looking at a small carved figure, Rose added, "While the big things don't change, the little personality quirks can be surprising if you don't make an effort to sort them out."

"Must be hard," Ace said calmly. "I never had to deal with regeneration. I'd imagine that it is hard to accept." 

"I think it will be," Rose agreed. "As fond as I am of his later incarnations, I'm not looking forward to the Doctor's regenerations. Since our time lines will be synched then it will mean that I won't see the previous forms again." She shrugged and looked at one of the African masks. "I try not to worry about it too much."

"What do you want to do when you're done traveling with the Doctor?" Ace asked as they moved into another room.

"What?" Rose asked, honestly confused by the question. It took her a moment to realize what Ace was asking. "Oh I don't plan on ever returning to Earth to live once I'm done with university. It's one of the reasons I keep my affairs in order and have my money set up in a trust fund for my Mum. That way she'll be alright between visits."

Ace wasn't sure how to respond to that statement. It startled her a little. She remembered the certainty that she'd never leave the TARDIS or the Doctor, but Rose hadn't even lived that life yet. However, she also couldn't dismiss it as the girl not knowing the realities of traveling with the Doctor. Everyone had their own horror story to share about something they had seen and gone through. Rose knew all of this.

She remembered their conversation not long after they had met. Ace had known that something was going on with Rose's life and the younger girl had admitted that events were being manipulated. At the time she had insisted that it wasn't the Doctor and Ace had believed her, but since meeting Rose in April the girl had battled an alien who destroyed planets with the Doctor and been attacked by a psychic alien. The girl hadn't been joking when she said that something strange happened monthly to her. Ace just found it hard to believe that the Doctor wasn't behind it since he wasn't preventing it. Surely the Doctor could find a way to prevent this kind of chaos.

They were half way through the modern art gallery when Ace pulled herself back to reality. Rose hadn't seemed to notice her slipping into deep thought or had decided against mentioning it.

"I have to say," Rose said softly. "Most of this doesn't do much for me."

"You don't like modern art?" Ace asked.

"I love some of it," Rose said. "But I like to paint realistic shapes in unusual scenes as my abstract art." She gave Ace a small shrug and a smile. "I also like impressionism or surrealism, but I can't figure out the random shapes of color."

"And you call yourself an artist," Ace teased.

"I appreciate the thought that probably went into it," Rose said defensively, "I just can't connect to it."

"Relax kiddo," Ace said with a smile. "I'm just teasing." She looked around and shrugged, "I like the Picassos."

"That's it?" Rose asked with wide eyes.

"Surrealism is fun," Ace said as they kept walking. "Cubism is just odd and impressionism makes my eyes hurt."

"You're focusing too hard," Rose said shaking her head. "At least you're better in an art museum than Luke. He doesn't get art. I took him to the National Gallery once and he kept analyzing the mathematics of the paintings."

Ace snorted and covered her mouth to smother the noise. Rose smiled at Ace before saying, "I mean don't get me wrong, the mathematician in me loves artwork that demonstrates the use of perspective and the use of geometrical shapes to control the movement of the eye through the piece, but there is a limit."

Ace frowned as they climbed the stairs and reached the second level of the museum. Unlike downstairs were they had at least been a few people, there was no one in view. "This is really strange," Ace mumbled to Rose.

"Maybe they are in the exhibition hall," Rose suggested, looking around herself. "This is weird, there was a huge line to get into the Guggenheim so why is this museum so empty."

Rose and Ace both moved through the gallery quickly, not bothering with the art any longer. They reached one of the main hallways of the second floor, just between Modern Art and 19th century European Art when they heard noise from inside one of the exhibition halls.

"Come on," Ace said, "I don't like this."

"Right behind you," Rose said softly as they moved towards the door.

Both women hoped that they'd find a special tour group going over the exhibit when they looked inside. Instead they found a large mummy crashing open one of the displays. Gasping, Rose stepped back as the thing turned towards her, holding a golden circlet in its hands. It was taller than Rose and wrapped in heavy bandages, grey with age, but as it moved towards her Rose heard the sound of metal.

"What the?" Ace gasped, pulling Rose back from the door. "Rose, on the floor."

Rose's eyes went from the robot to two unconscious people on the floor, in the corner she could see a security guard with a bleeding head wound. The sound of a heavy footfall forced Rose to look back at the robot that started moving towards her. She pulled out her sonic pen and changed to setting 7C which the Doctor had shown her to fuse mechanical joints when they'd faced Thane's drones.

"Run!" Ace shouted, pulled Rose back from the door.

"We have to-" Rose started to argue.

"Two more are coming down the hall!" Ace shouted.

Rose stepped out the exhibition hall and looked to the right. Two more of the large robots were lumbering towards them from the east corridor. Ace pulled on her arm and Rose nodded, breaking into a run. They rushed into the European Art galleries and started running through the small rooms to put as much distance between themselves and the robots. They were almost lost in a series of rooms when Ace grabbed Rose's arm to stop her moving and pulled out the map.

"This way," Ace said pointing to the side door. "Back to the main gallery."

"Right," Rose agreed, following Ace through the side door.

They passed through a small photography gallery before they reached the main hall and stopped to look down at the main floor. Rose swallowed, two more robots were dragging people toward the Egyptian gallery on the first floor.

"You jinked us," Ace whispered. "These are like the robots that Sarah Jane described."

"They are like the ones that Sutekh used in her story," Rose agreed in a low voice. "But Apep didn't use those at the Academy."

"Maybe he had to find some first," Ace suggested as she pulled out the map. "We can't take the direct route down," she said thoughtfully, "But this staircase here leads into one of the Egyptian galleries on the first floor. Those robots are probably taking those people to the temple since it has the most space."

"Hold on," Rose said catching Ace's arm and pulling out her mobile.

"What are you doing?" Ace asked.

"Calling UNIT," Rose answered calmly. "Uh… any idea what the US number is?"

"Not a clue," Ace answered as she glanced over the railing and into the main hall again. "Come on we can take them."

"Apep is a dangerous," Rose insisted. "The Orisians were viewed as gods and according to Sarah Jane had some nasty telepathic powers."

"Fine," Ace sighed. "I suppose I didn't any Nitro anyway."

Rose finally gave up and just hit her speed dial for UNIT UK. It wasn't like she actually paid for calls since she had a superphone, no matter what jokes the Doctor might make about the bill.

"This is Rose Tyler, special civilian consultant ID number D547. I have found a hostile alien situation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. I believe the alien to be Apep who is on record for the incident at Horath Academy." Rose sighed and hissed, "Yes I know this is the UK branch, but I don't keep the US branches number in my phone. Pass the message on immediately and tell them the alien has hostages inside the museum."

Rose snapped her phone shut and turned to Ace. "Right, lead the way navigator."

"Don't you want to wait for UNIT?" Ace asked with a raised eyebrow.

"In my experience reporting to UNIT means that they will arrive to take care of clean up," Rose said. "Call it professional courtesy."

Ace grinned and gestured for Rose to follow her. They carefully crossed the second level of the man gallery, reaching the far side just in time to hide as two of the robots came to the main stairs, each carrying two people. Once they were out of sight, Ace stood and led Rose to the staircase. They both tried to be quiet as they reached the main floor and looked around carefully for any sign of the robots. Ace motioned Rose to go through the west door and they sprinted across the gallery and ducked into another gallery as the sound of the footsteps came closer.

Ace pointed to the large entrance to the temple on her map and Rose understood what she meant. The robots would take the most direct and most spacious route. She followed the map towards the third entrance to the temple complex and nodded her understanding. They both stilled as they listened to the robots move past the doorway to their left. A few moments later the sounds quieted and Ace gestured towards the far door.

There were bloodstains with drag marks through them in the next gallery on the floor and Rose swallowed. While the robots had already been here, she didn't like the story the evidence told. Stepping carefully, Rose and Ace walked into the gallery right next to the Temple of Dendur.

Carefully, Rose leaned to the side and peered into the large gallery. Right in front of her was the stunning scene of the small Egyptian temple. Her view was framed by the two elegant statues of Pharaohs and between her and the temple was a wide reflection pool. Beyond the pool was a raised section of floor with a tall sandstone gate standing completely intact. The stippled glass ceiling and wall to her right lit the room in conjunction with a few bright hanging lights.

The problem was that the view of the temple which stood beyond the gate in front of Rose was blocked by a tall figure standing between the Temple of Dendur and the gateway. Rose could just see the edges of a long altar in front of the figure. The altar was new, shining with elegant circuitry that looked like hieroglyphics. Rose remembered technology like that from Apep's ship. She opened her mouth to tell Ace when a sudden beam of light shot down through the glass roof of the gallery directly above the altar. The back of the figure's head shimmered before it stretched into a new shape, a serpent's head complete with a hood.

"It is Apep," Rose breathed to Ace. "I don't know what he's doing, but we need to stop him."

Four of the large strange mummy looking robots lumbered into the gallery through the wider entrance to the left of Rose, each carrying two people over their shoulders. Frowning, Rose studied the bodies in hopes of seeing some sign of life, but she couldn't see clearly enough. A moment later three more robots entered through the small door on the far side of the room, one of them carrying two children. Both groups of robots headed for the stairs that led up to the platform the Temple was constructed on.

"Excellent," Apep said, the word sounding more like a hiss. "Bring the humans to me."

"We've got to stop this," Ace snapped as she shifted her weight forward in preparation to attack.

Rose nodded and pulled out the sonic pen, waiting until more of the robots were in range and grouped. The first group reached Apep and gently set the humans down, forming a semi-circle that stretched out beyond the gate around the altar.

"Now," Ace whispered, "Maybe you can knock that altar thing out too."

Rose raised the sonic pen and activated it, hoping that her pen would have enough power to stop at least a few of the robots. She was too far away and only the closest of the robots which was standing by the gateway froze up, its joints sparking.

"Damn," Rose hissed as Apep turned to look at the robot. He stepped forward and examined the machine before he shoved it backwards into the reflection pool. Rose flinched at the shower of sparks that erupted.

Apep's serpent tongue flicked out of his mouth, tasting the air. "Ah, I know that smell." He stepped towards the stairs of the dais that help the temple. "We never properly met before you destroyed Horath, Rose Tyler. Shall we rectify that?"

Rose gestured Ace back into the shadows and stepped forward into the light of the gallery. She was grateful that there was a pool of water between her and the snake. "Hello Apep, it's been awhile."


	57. Mayhem at the Met: Incompatibility

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Fifty-Seven: Incompatibility

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: I'm so sorry for the delay in this chapter; my Mom had to go in for surgery which kept me pretty distracted. She's fine now and back home recovery! Everything went really well and her doctors are very pleased! Figures that after a two update week I'd hit a bump in the writing road.

Apep's serpent tongue flicked out of his mouth, tasting the air. "Ah, I know that smell." He stepped towards the stairs of the dais that help the temple. "We never properly met before you destroyed Horath, Rose Tyler. Shall we rectify that?"

Rose gestured Ace back into the shadows and stepped forward into the light of the gallery. She was grateful that there was a pool of water between her and the snake. "Hello Apep, it's been awhile."

"Indeed it has," the serpent headed alien said as she moved to the edge of the pool. "You have grown up nicely."

Rose wasn't going to touch that topic. "So which Osirian are you trying to revive?"

Apep was startled for a moment by the question. "Interesting," he said after a moment, "you know my kind. How?"

"Which Osirian?" Rose repeated as she glanced over at the altar. She still couldn't see much, but a few of the mummies were walking out the two doors again. Probably to collect more of the unconscious people. Two remained near Apep, either as guards or he didn't need many more people.

"Sekhmet," Apep answered calmly. "The alignment was perfect here and that silly little exhibit brought just the items I needed along with her sarcophagus." Apep laughed. "It would appear that in our hollow state you humans can't tell us apart from your own species, pathetic really."

"Well you are humanoid and shriveled up," Rose observed, "And Egyptologists are trying to avoid causing damage nowadays."

"Surrender now Rose Tyler," Apep said. "I will not use your life force to restore Sekhmet if you do. That would be a waste."

"So you're going to drain the humans to restore Sekhmet," Rose said glancing back at the unconscious forms.

"My servants will return with the rest shortly."

"Leave Apep," Rose said coldly. "Take Sekhmet's body and go or I'll have to stop you again."

"No," Apep said with a smirk, "I almost had this miserable little planet bowing to me once and I'm planning on having it again."

"You want the universe," Rose snapped.

"You've got to start somewhere," Apep replied with his hissing voice. "Last chance to surrender, I'll make sure you're kept comfortable."

"Not going to happen Apep," Rose responded sharply and trying to stand up straight despite the urge to shudder. "Leave Earth."

"It would appear that we cannot agree," Apep said dramatically. He turned to look at the humans spread out behind him and then looked at the two robot mummies remaining. "Get her and bring her to me, but in good condition," Apep's tongue lashed out of his mouth again, "And the other human with her, the older female."

"Shit," Ace swore behind Rose.

The robots lumbered towards the stairs and Rose glared at Apep and the altar behind him. Briefly she wondered about what additional defenses he might have. Deciding to risk it, Rose summoned her sword and rushed towards the robots. She heard Apep gasp and shout something as she ducked around the first robot, avoiding its large arms. The things may have been big, but they were slow. Rose's sword collided with the arm of one of the robots and there was a flash of strange light. Something hit Rose hard in the chest, sending her crashing backwards.

Rose hit the ground stunned and her hand burning so much that she dropped her sword on instinct. Pushing off the ground, Rose managed to sit up and saw the robots still moving towards her. The arm of one was sparking on the ground and Rose frowned in confusion. She'd never been affected by energy from a target before.

"Telepathic weapon of some kind?" Apep questioned as Rose climbed to her feet. "I didn't know there were weapons like that. Servants bring me the sword as well."

Rose was still disoriented as she stumbled back almost tripping on her own sword. A tight grip on her left wrist pulled her towards the doorway and Rose's vision cleared enough for her to see Ace was the one guiding her out. They ran through several rooms and into the stairwell they had used. Ace turned to Rose, "Use the sonic on the door!"

Rose blinked through the haze of her shock and pulled out the sonic pen. It took her a moment to properly adjust the setting, but she managed it and sealed the lock on the door.

"Sit down," Ace said guiding Rose to one of the steps. "Let me see your eyes."

"I'm alright," Rose promised as the haze began to clear a little more. "That's never happened before."

"Apep said something about telepathic weapons," Ace said, "And Sarah Jane said those robots are controlled by an Osrians telepathic powers so maybe they were too similar."

"Maybe," Rose said with a forced nod. She looked down at her wrist and her eyes widened. "My bracelet didn't return."

"You dropped the sword," Ace reminded her gently.

"No, if the sword leaves my hand it returns just a few seconds later in its inactive form." Rose rubbed her bare wrist nervously. "Oh this isn't good."

"Rose, focus," Ace said touching the girl's shoulder. "I know you just suffered a shock, but I need your help here."

"Right," Rose said forcing her mind to focus on Ace. "I'm alright Ace, I think the sword contained most of the energy surge to protect me which is probably why it isn't working properly now."

"Okay," Ace said, "So slashing those things apart isn't going to work and they are gathering up more people for this crazy ritual."

"We need to get as many people to safety as we can," Rose said suddenly. "But at this point I'm sure that he's sealed the museum."

"Where was that light coming from?" Ace questioned, "It looked like a beam straight out of an alien movie."

"His ship," Rose said with a nod. "He escaped with it the last time we met and there was never any sign of it. Maybe it has a cloaking system of some kind and is above the museum." Rose straightened up, "Maybe some kind of perception filter to keep people from noticing it. If that's the case then it would explain why the museum is so empty, something about the ship was forcing them away."

"The museum did seem odd to me when we arrived," Ace said thoughtfully. "Will that keep UNIT from getting here?"

"There are employees and some tourists here," Rose said, "So people who really want to come here can probably see through the perception filter." Rose stood up, holding onto the railing, "Still we need to figure out what to do."

Rose's hand slipped into her pocket and she froze, "My phone is missing!" 

"Must have slipped out during the fight," Ace said. "Don't' worry about it now."

Rose was really tempted to snap that she could have contacted the Doctor, but thought better of it. A sudden crash against the door made both women turn to face it; Rose raised her sonic pen as another crash echoed in the staircase. The metal of the door buckled slightly and Rose glanced at Ace. "How many do you think?" Rose asked.

"Well if I was the alien I'd send all of them after us," Ace said. "But some were gathering people…"

Another crash bent the door further in and Ace started climbing the stairs, "Come on Rose."

"Right," Rose agreed as she turned to climb the staircase. She was still shaky on her feet so her hand never left the railing as she followed Ace up the stairs. Behind her the door finally gave way and Rose heard the heavy footfalls of the robots following them. Pausing on the stairs, she fumbled with her sonic pen and redid the settings for fusing robot circuits.

"Rose!" Ace shouted from ahead of her, "Come on!"

Rose nodded, but leaned over the railing and pointed the sonic pen at the nearest robot. There was the familiar and almost comforting hum of the sonic pen following by the crackling noise of the robots joints being fused. Grinning Rose watched the robot fall backwards against another robot behind it, sending them both down the stairs. She then turned back to the task of climbing the stairs and followed Ace out onto the next level near where they had been before.

"How many can you take out at a time with your sonic?" Ace asked as she closed the stairwell door behind them and motioned for Rose to seal it.

"Looks like just one," Rose admitted. "My pen isn't as powerful as the Doctor's screwdriver."

"Figures," Ace muttered as she looked around.

"We need a plan," Rose muttered as they began to move through the galleries looking for the robots or other people. "First thing should be to stop the robots."

"Well your sonic can stop them one at a time," Ace said, "But there's a bunch of them."

"I need to get close without them detecting me," Rose said softly, trying to think.

"They don't have any eyes," Ace said, "They're just robots so it is probably technological." Ace snapped her fingers, "Do you have your biodamper?"

Rose blinked at Ace before she grinned and nodded. Her fingers undid the clasp of the heavy chain she wore at all times and Rose slid the simple ring off of the chain. "I can't believe I didn't think of that."

"You were just shocked," Ace said putting a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay to work on this?"

"I'm not waiting for UNIT," Rose said. "That never works and I'm not going to make you go solo, I've done that and it's hard."

Rose handed the biodamper to Ace and said, "Apep knows I'm here and will be looking for me. You've got a better chance of staying under the radar." Rose handed Ace the sonic pen. "It's set for fusing the robots joints which will keep them from moving. Hopefully now that there are so few people left in the museum the robots will be heading for whichever living signatures they can find."

"So, you're the bait?" Ace asked as she examined the sonic pen. "I'm not sure I like that idea."

"Apep ordered the robots to bring me to him in good condition," Rose said with a calm shrug, "He didn't say anything of the sort for you."

"This isn't a very solid plan," Ace said as she slipped the biodamper on and took the sonic pen.

"Yeah," Rose agreed, "But it's what we've got."

"This part I haven't missed," Ace muttered as they pulled out the map.

Rose bit her lip and pulled out the map, checking the room number so she could find a route back to the temple gallery. She nodded to Ace and led them towards a nearby stairwell and headed downstairs. When they reached the first floor they could hear heavy footsteps down a nearby corridor. Ace glanced at Rose who started moving towards the noises. There was an odd pause in the noise before it became louder and moving towards them. Rose smiled, at least they were right about the robots using sensors.

Two of the large wrapped up robots entered the small gallery that Ace and Rose were waiting in. Ace moved towards the wall by the doorway and glanced over at Rose. The robots moved towards Rose, showing no signs of being aware of Ace's presence at all. Ace used the sonic pen and the first robots went down. The second paused and turned towards the frozen robot long enough for Ace to aim the pen at it. Rose stepped back as the second robot sparked and struggled for a moment before it too was frozen.

"Nicely done," Rose said. "That's four down in total."

"There were seven in total that we saw earlier," Ace said with a nod.

"Yeah," Rose replied with a nod. "But let's keep moving towards Apep."

Ace nodded in agreement and they began running through the small galleries towards the larger temple gallery. Another robot came after them, but Ace was quick enough with the sonic pen to stop it from hitting Rose in the head.

"Five down, two to go," Ace chuckled as she twirled the sonic pen. "I like this pen."

"Don't get too attached," Rose reminded her.

They were almost back to the temple gallery when a strange vibration rushed through the floor, lightly shaking the museum. Rose's eyes locked on a vase in one of the cases that swayed silently despite the protective holds on it.

"That didn't feel good."

"He's started," Rose shouted as she started running for the door.

They ran into the large gallery at the far west entrance and both froze at the sight they saw. The light from the ship above the gallery was even brighter than before, casting its light across the whole of the temple complex. Thirteen bodies were floating in the area around Apep as he chanted a spell. Rose's translator activated and she recognized the words life, transfer and bunch of other phrases that really worried her.

The two robots standing guard over the ceremony turned towards Rose and moved towards her from the stairs of the temple display. Ace didn't hesitate before raising the sonic pen and taking out one of them. The second one was on Rose before Ace could stop it. Rose ducked the swing and jumped to the other side of the robot.

"Hey Apep!" Rose shouted, "Only one robot left! Then what snake face!"

Apep's chanting paused for a moment before he resumed it. Rose muttered under her breath and dodged the robot again as Ace moved to the side and aimed the sonic pen. One of the sparks hit Rose in the arm and she hissed in pain before the robot stopped moving.

Apep glared at Rose and Ace as they moved towards the stairs. "You think you've won?!" He shouted. "I am a god of old and I will not be undone by insects. Not by the two of you or those soldiers trying to break in!" Apep grabbed two of the nearest humans and tossed them over the sarcophagus. Rose rushed forward, but Apep pressed a button on the altar and vanished in a flash of bright light.

"Teleports are cheating!" Ace shouted up at the sky. "Damn coward."

"We've got to go after him," Rose said as she rushed over the altar, "Check the others Ace."

Ace did as Rose said and began to check the pulses of everyone around the altar. "Some nasty bumps and bruises from the robots," Ace said, "But I don't see anything too bad." Ace looked at the altar and Rose running her fingers over the various controls carefully. "Can you even read that?"

"Yeah," Rose said, "Translator." She tapped behind her ear and then straightened up. Rose carefully turned a strange looking dial and smiled as a soft hum filled the room for a moment before fading away. "That should turn off the seal Apep was using on the museum."

"Then UNIT will be here in a second," Ace said.

"Yeah," Rose held out her hand, "Biodamper and pen please."

Ace quickly handed the two items to Rose. "What are you doing?"

"Following him," Rose replied as she pointed to another button. "I need you to tell UNIT what's been happening and that Apep has two hostages. They can't shoot down the ship with humans on board." Rose pointed at a button, "This is the teleport control, they can use it to get to the ship. I think you just have to be touching the controls. I'll use the sonic to reactivate the controls so they can follow."

"Rose," Ace said softly, "Be careful."

"I promise," Rose said with a forced smile. Rose swallowed as her fingers traced the correct set of controls. "I can't let that snake just take those people."

Ace nodded in understanding and stepped away from the altar. Rose pointed her sonic at the controls to reactivate them, took a breath and pushed the button. There was a terrible rush of cold over her skin and the world blurred. Rose's knees almost buckled as the cold rush ended, but she remained standing. She was in the center of a large alien room near a set of controls.

"Well," Rose said softly. "The teleport worked."


	58. Mayhem at the Met: Ship of the god

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Fifty-Eight: Ship of the god

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Thanks for all the sweet well wishes for my mother, she is doing very well and already frustrated with us trying to keep her in bed. This part of the episode gave me a really hard time for some reason, it didn't want to follow the plan and let itself be written. A lot of the next chapter is already written so that should be up in a day or two.

The air was incredibly dry to Rose's skin and she licked her lips as she walked forward towards the arched doorway. There were no doors, just an open entry that made Rose nervous. She had no idea if Apep had any additional robots up here. Of course she had no idea where Apep was in this ship. Rose's experience with this particular alien ship was very limited, being dragged in by traitor UNIT soldiers and shoved into a high technical box. A shudder went up Rose's back at the memory, but she quickly shoved it back into the tiny corner where frightening alien memories were kept.

She looked around the edge of the doorway carefully; a long corridor stretched out in front of her and then opened into a large area. Rose walked through the corridor, noticing a light rise to the floor and keeping her eyes open for any movement up ahead. A strange humming noise that reminded Rose of a machine was coming from up head of her. She quickened her steps, glancing back behind her towards the teleportation room.

"Hurry up UNIT," she whispered under her breath when she was almost to the doorway. Rose took another deep breath and stepped to the empty archway to look inside.

Apep was standing in front of a massive wall of controls full of strange symbols, some of which Rose's translator began to shift for her, but others seemed to just be images or gages that made sense to Apep. Rose watched him for a moment before letting her eyes sweep the rest of the room. The sarcophagus was floating at the side of the room with four glowing orbs at each of the corners of the underside. The two people were slumped against the far wall not looking any worse for wear which calmed Rose only a little.

Apep tensed and straighten, the serpent hood flaring out and Rose knew that he'd caught her scent. He turned towards her and Rose stepped fully into the room, trying to look calm and composed.

"Release the humans Apep," Rose said. "Let me return with them to Earth and you can leave in the ship."

"You think if I could leave Earth I wouldn't have already done it!" Apep hissed, his eyes narrowing at her. "This is an old ship Tyler, I'm stuck on this rock as much as you are."

Rose thought back to her first encounter with Apep. It was true that his mind had somehow been separated from his body and stored in an artifact that UNIT found and kept while his body was elsewhere. It wasn't until Colonel Adams had come along that Apep had been released to retake his true form. That meant that the ship was probably hidden somewhere on Earth during all that time.

"I see," Rose said with a nod. "That would make things difficult, all this time I was hoping that you'd just left Earth after Horath."

"No," Apep said. "I was forced into hiding and searching for any sign of another Osirian on Earth and I will bring her back. We will rebuild our species and take our places as gods."

Rose really wanted to roll her eyes, but one of the hurt humans shifted and moaned at the side of the room. She glanced over to see that the middle aged woman was still struggling with consciousness. The sound of movement forced Rose to turn back toward Apep sharply. Jumping to the side Rose just managed to avoid Apep swinging her sword at her.

Rose shifted backwards a few steps as Apep lunged at her once again. She sidestepped another wild swing and flinched as the sword collided with a set of controls on the wall behind her. A shower of sparks exploded forward into the room and Rose heard one of the humans whimper. Concerned, Rose turned slightly to check on the two. A sharp pain flowed through her arm and she flinched back and turned back to Apep. The sword had sliced a narrow cut on her forearm and Apep's eyes were nearly glowing.

"This is what I wanted," Apep replied. "Killing you with this weapon."

Rose shifted into a defensive position and kept her eyes on Apep, but listened hopefully for the sound of soldiers in the corridor. Apep fixed his eyes on her and stilled for a long moment. "You are a puzzle," he finally said. "This blade is unlike anything I've ever seen," Apep announced. "I can feel the telepathic nature of it trying to reach out for you, whatever problems my robots caused have nearly passed." Apep tilted his serpent head at Rose. "And you, I can brush your mind with my abilities, but there is something there already. Something buried deep and yet warning me away."

"What do you mean?" Rose asked softly before she thought better of it.

"The Big Bad Wolf," Apep muttered, a glazed look overtaking his serpent face for a moment before he shook his head and raised the sword. His tongue flicker out again and Rose noticed that his hands were shaking. "Bad Wolf," Apep muttered again, tilting his head as if in pain.

"Apep?" Rose asked taking a step back, her back almost against the main controls now. Her eyes jumped to the corridor, hoping to see UNIT troops.

Apep swung the sword at Rose again in a wide arch. Rose jumped forward and caught Apep's large hand in her own, stopping the swing above their heads. Her muscles protested as Apep leaned forward, putting his entire weight against her. Keeping her eyes on the sword, Rose shifted her hand and tried to touch the blade itself. Apep pushed forward suddenly, knocking Rose back against the controls, but she kept her grip. She managed to shift her weight to roll to the side before Apep could hit her again, letting go of his hands. The Star Knight sword cut into the controls, sending sparks flying as the carefully crafted instruments were destroyed. Apep wretched the sword out the controls, slicing it sideways into more controls.

The lights flickered in the room and Apep ripped the sword the rest of the way out of the controls. Rose lunged forward, trying to grab the hilt of the sword. Apep shoved his weight forward against her, letting go of the hilt with one of his hands and reaching for Rose. He caught her around the neck, but she didn't release her grip on his hand, still trying to reach the hilt herself. He smashed her against the controls again. Rose's head hit the controls with a dull thud and she pushed back against Apep, leveraging her foot against the controls.

"You're just a human," Apep snarled, his serpent eyes narrowing at her. "A pathetic like blink of an eye human!"

"Then why are you running?" Rose snapped.

Apep snarled, his mouth widening and his fangs glistening in the low light. Rose's eyes widened and she gasped as Apep moved to strike. Suddenly she heard lots of heavy running footfalls from the corridor. Apep loosened his grasp in surprise and turned his head and check. Rose used all of her weight and the position of her foot against the flat wall of controls to push forward and knock Apep off balance. Her fingers brushed against the hilt of the sword and she felt a warmth travel up her arm, similar to when she had first touched it. The sword shifted into bright particles and vanished from Apep's hand, reassembling into the bracelet on Rose's right wrist.

Rose dove to the left as the UNIT soldiers burst into the room, their guns trained on Apep.

"Don't fire!" Rose shouted, "This is the control room!" She half crawled and have walked over to the two humans still slumped against the wall.

"It really doesn't matter," Apep said, his composure returning as he turned to the destroyed controls. "The ship is losing the ability to redirect power. I did warn you this is an old ship."

Apep turned to Rose and flicked his tongue out. "It appears I'll still kill you today. Pity about Sekhmet." His head began to shimmer and become more human. Moving forward, Rose watched his arm drop to his ornate belt and pressed a strange scarab amulet there. Apep's form was surrounded by a blue flash and then he was gone.

"I hate teleports," Rose shouted before she spun back to the controls and checked the rapidly changing instruments. Her translator indicated the current pressure of the engines and a bit of the ripped open instrumentation indicated the controls. Another area showed the unstable position the ship was holding over the museum and part of Fifth Avenue. They were going to either explode like Apep said or crash and then explode. "Bloody hell," Rose shouted, "I don't think he was bluffing!"

"Can you stop it!?" A young officer with black hair asked Rose, rushing up next to her to look at the controls, a little hint of fear creeping into his voice.

"No, it looks like all the power control systems have been smashed and I don't know how to access the systems manually," Rose answered a she turned back to the soldiers. "But it looks like I can get it higher into the air. Rose carefully navigated her fingers over the controls and watched the odd map, hoping that she was reading things right. Rose pointed at the two humans. "Have your men grab them and return to the teleport room so we can get out of here."

Rose heard the captain shout the orders and heard the movements behind her. Pulling out the sonic pen, Rose forced one of the control panels to open and twisted the small scarab shaped knob as far as she could. The ship shuddered and began to tilt so Rose changed another instrument to hold it steady. Turning her eyes to the visual representation of the ships position, Rose smiled softly as they ship began to rise away from the city. She spun on her heel and joined the soldiers in moving towards the teleportation room, silently hoping that the teleport didn't have a narrow range limit.

"Do you know how to work this?" the captain asked Rose as his men climbed onto the platform with the injured civilians.

"A bit," Rose answered shortly as she rushed to the main controls and glanced at them. The controls indicated that the teleport was locked onto a set of coordinates and had made several teleports to the area. Rose hoped that it was the museum or somewhere really close. She checked the power and nodded to the Captain. The ship shook again and began to tilt towards the right side. Rose gripped the controls and Stumbled towards the platform.

"Brace yourselves!" Rose shouted before pointing the sonic pen at the controls to activate the teleportation sequence. Rose gasped as another cold rush surrounded her and her vision went blurry once again. Her last conscious thought was 'please let the ship explode high enough that no one gets hurt.'

Rose stumbled forward into a pair of arm and a solid chest as the cold feeling eased. She pulled in a deep breath and vaguely heard a few cheers and the Captain's voice giving another order.

"Are you alright ma'am?" A male voice asked as they helped Rose straighten up.

Rose forced herself to take in another breath and shake off her disorientation. She straightened up and looked around, a touch of confusion fogging her mind before the ship's explosion came back to her. Stepping back from the soldier that had helped her, Rose rushed past the assembled people and down the steps of the temple towards the main entrance. A few troops were stationed in the main hall guarding the doors and they moved towards Rose.

"Out of my way," Rose barked, "I need to check something!"

Either her tone was authoritative enough or the troops had been briefed on her on their way to the museum. Rose ran out the front door, ignoring the police line down the street and up and over the museum, trying to find the ship. Her eyes found the rapidly rising ship that was leaving a trail behind it that most would have dismissed as a jet plane trail. The captain joined her a moment later, staring up at the sky and Ace was right behind him.

"Rose what is going on?" Ace asked as she followed their gaze up into the sky.

The ship was now just a tiny dot in the distance.

"When will it-" the captain started to ask.

There was a small burst of light overhead, just a pinprick in size and Rose smiled. Almost thirty second later there was a low rumbling noise that made a few people on the street look up and around for the source of the noise. Sighing in relief, Rose turned to the captain and smiled.

"Well that's that," he finally looked at his name on his UNIT uniform, "Captain Diaz."

"Apep still escaped," Captain Diaz said looking out over the street and the crowds peeking over the police lines. "The file says that he can take on a humanoid head as well."

"Yeah," Rose said with a nod, "I don't think you're going to find him, not in this city."

"The higher ups will want a manhunt," the captain said with a raised eyebrow.

"Not my job," Rose said with a shrug, "I stopped the alien and I'll write the report, that's my job."

Captain Diaz actually smiled at her remark. "You live up to your reputation Thorn."

"I'm terrified at the thought of what you may have heard," Rose said with a sigh before turning to Ace. "You alright?" 

"I'm fine," Ace said glancing over at the Captain who nodded to them both and headed inside. "Your arm?" Ace asked reaching slowly for Rose's cut arm.

"I'm okay," Rose answered calmly, "I'll wait until the medics have helped the civilians."

Ace nodded in understanding and glanced back up at the sky before she turned back to Rose. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a mobile. "Is this your phone?" she asked handing it to Rose. "I found it once those damn soldiers made me wait in the museum."

"Thanks," Rose said taking the phone from her and checking it. "Give me a second," Rose said as she entered her password. Three messages appeared, one from an unknown American number, one from Malcolm and one from the General. Rose shook her head and slipped the phone into her pocket and looked up at Ace, "Where do you want to start?"

"Don't you have a debriefing?" Ace asked looking down at the mobile command center that was parked at the bottom of the stairs.

"I probably have a few minutes," Rose said. "And they'll interrogate you too." Rose looked at the soldiers and the medics who were rushing around. "I wonder how much of this sort of thing they deal with over here."

"Probably a bit," Ace said with a shrug, "It can't always been in England can it."

"Apparently not," Rose said with a smile. "But you've got to admit that little island sees a lot of aliens."

"And now you know one of the reasons why I live here," Ace teased with a smile. She turned back and looked at the museum and sighed. "I'm packing nitro whenever you visit from now on. You're a dangerous person to be around, a lot fo fun and very exciting, but definitely dangerous."

"Jeopardy friendly," Rose agreed with a smile as they sat down on the steps near the mobile command center, "That's me."


	59. Mayhem at the Met: Recognition

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Fifty-Nine: Recognition

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: I'm so happy with this chapter! Coming up next is the final episode! I'm almost done with my first full season! Keep the support coming, I'll be honest I'm kind curious if this story can break 1,000 reviews so if you haven't reviewed in a while then please do so now.

Rose stepped out of the mobile command center with a relieved sigh and glanced around. The crowds were present, but the police were keeping everything in check. It really wasn't much of a surprise really, but UNIT's story of an attempted theft seemed to encouraging the crowds to leave. Sitting down on one of the steps away from the mobile outpost, Rose pulled out her phone and quickly sent a few text messages.

The movement of her arm sent a sharp pain through the sensitive wound and Rose looked up and over at the medics. Most of the people had been sent to the hospital after energy screening for alien radiation, but a few who were in better shape were still the area being tended to. Rose gently cradled her injured arm on her lap as she waited on the stairs of the museum for Ace who was probably being given the usual 'never talk about this' speech, after all UNIT USA didn't know her as well as UNIT UK.

Rose looked down at the cut which had been cleaned while she was giving her statement. Honestly she probably needed stitches, but hadn't been willing to do that during a debriefing. Unfortunately , the cut was starting to ooze blood again and Rose took deep breathes to distract herself from the discomfort. Despite everything she had seen, Rose still wasn't very strong at the sight of her own blood.

"That looks painful," a warm and gentle voice with a British accent said in front of Rose. "Can I be of any assistance?"

Rose opened her eyes and looked forward. A blond man in cricket whites was standing in front of her on one of the lower steps. He had a worried expression on his face she his eyes shifted from Rose to the UNIT soldiers and then back to her. Rose barely contained her gasp of recognition as the man's eyes locked with her own. This was the Doctor in his fifth body, looking just as Tegan had described him.

"I just waiting for the doctors to get the others out," Rose said trying to sound calm and unsurprised. She did wonder how the Doctor got past the police line, but it certainly wouldn't be the greatest feat of his life.

"I know a touch about medicine," the Doctor replied with a smile as he looked over at the medics. "If I may?"

Rose nodded and shifted so he could easily access the cut. The Doctor sat down on the step next to her and pulled out a small package from his pockets that he ripped open. If she had been an ordinary person Rose would have expected a sanitizing cloth or something like that. As it was she wasn't surprised when the package produced a small green cloth that had some kind of ointment on one side. The Doctor gently laid the fabric over the wound.

"Do you know what happened inside?" the Doctor asked and Rose barely managed to contain her grin.

"A really weird robbery of some kind," Rose replied calmly. "It was like the robbers had an Egyptian theme."

"How so?" the Fifth Doctor asked her, looking up at Rose's face for moment.

"Well a bunch of them were dressed in heavy bandages and looked like they were out of a mummy movie, except they had very large and wide chests. Their leader was even stranger…" Rose trailed off and shock her head.

"Their leader?" the Fifth Doctor prodded gently, trying not to sound too curious and eager.

"Well, this is going to sound crazy," Rose said with a chuckle, "But he had a snake head, it was better than any mask I've ever seen and would have been a great special effects shot."

"That is indeed weird," the Fifth Doctor agreed, a worried look on his face.

"He stole one of the sarcophagi," Rose said, "But the soldiers said something weird about the 'engines vaporizing'." She shrugged and added, "I lost conscious then."

"Sounds like you had quite the day," the Fifth Doctor said. "I'm sorry your vacation took such a turn, you're from London aren't you?"

"Born and raised," Rose replied, "I'm just here seeing a friend."

"Well I won't keep you any longer," the Doctor said lifting the cloth off of Rose's arm. She glanced down and smiled at the thin white line that was only the sign that she'd been injured. The Fifth Doctor jumped to his feet and smiled at her. "Enjoy the rest of your trip."

"Thank you Doctor," Rose answered, unable to resist.

The Doctor glanced back at her, a startled look on his face before he glanced back at the cut and smiled. "Of course, you're quite welcome." The Doctor took a step before turning back to her. "How rude of me, I never asked your name." 

"Rose," she answered with a smile as she held out her hand. "It is very nice to meet you."

The Fifth Doctor beamed at her, a smile that despite all the changes to his face still managed to be wonderfully familiar. Reaching forward the Doctor took her hand and shook his warmly and nodded to her.

"Doctor!" A female voice shouted from down the street.

"Ah," the Fifth Doctor said with a slight sigh, "It was nice to meet you Rose."

He released her hand and walked down the street towards three figures. Rose focused on them and grinned when she recognized one of them as none other than a younger Tegan dressed in a purple uniform of some kind, probably her old flight attendant suit. Next to her was a young woman with wavy brown hair that Rose realized was Nyssa and a teenage boy with dark hair in a strange yellow and green shirt. Rose's smile turned sad and she whispered, "Adric."

Behind her she heard a soft gasp and turned to see Ace standing a few steps over her staring after the figure as he greeted the three companions waiting for him.

"Ace," Rose greeted with a nod. "Do you know who that was?"

"Yeah," Ace said as she walked down the rest of the stairs and sat down next to Rose on her step. Things were calmer around them and the police were starting to reopen parts of the street as UNIT sent the last of the civilians off to the hospital.

"So do you meet the Doctor often in different bodies?" Ace asked.

"Not often," Rose answered with a shrug as she brushed her fingers over the healed wound. "But it does happen and this time he was even good enough to live up to his chosen name." There was a thick uncomfortable silence between them. Rose was the one who spoke first. "Ace," Rose said turning to her friend. "What's wrong?"

"You were amazing in there," Ace replied calmly. "Not once did you scream or wish the Doctor was there."

"I knew we could handle it," Rose answered with a shrug. "I deal with a lot of alien threats without ever seeing the Doctor or he just shows up at the end and doesn't do anything to stop the problem himself."

"I know," Ace said, "You've told us that before, seeing it first hand was a bit different than I was expecting. From what I heard from the troops you were even fighting Apep when they arrived and got them out of the ship after her made sure it was clear of the city." Ace frowned, "What are the odds that you'd be in New York to confront Apep?"

Rose was silent for a moment before she asked, "Remember what I told you when we met?"

"You said that the Doctor was the one keeping an eye on you while others were the ones controlling things around you," Ace said with a nod as she looked out towards the watching crowds.

"You don't believe me," Rose observed.

"I'm just…" Ace groaned and shook her head. "I'm worried. I care about you and I'm worried. That explanation was enough back when I didn't know you well and your adventures seemed like coincidence. But bloody hell Rose, this life of yours defies that explanation. Rose you knew Apep, you'd beaten him before and yet you were in New York on exactly the right day to stop him! At least with the TARDIS it makes sense, but you… and then the Doctor shows up!"

"I told you the truth," Rose said seriously. "You already knew then that events in my life were being manipulated and put into action by other beings." Sighing, Rose shook her head. "But you're right that there is more to it than that. The White and Black Guardians are the ones manipulating the events around me. The things I've been through have made me a, well it was described as being a gravity point on Earth, aliens and weird events naturally shift towards me. They don't even have to interfere at this point. I'm drawn to places that I'm needed, just like the Doctor except only I'm confined to Earth."

"The Guardians," Ace questioned with a frown. "Tegan mentioned them in one of her stories, but she didn't know much about them."

"They are very powerful," Rose said leaning back. "According to the White Guardian they have power over major aspects of the universe and are the highest authorities in the metaphysical sense of the universe. The Doctor doesn't like their influence in my life, but even he has no power to change it Ace. This isn't something the Doctor can protect me from. The only one who could change it is me and I've begun to accept whatever it is they are building me up for."

"Building you up for?" Ace questioned.

"The White Guardian oversees Order and Black oversees Chaos, according the Doctor they are natural rivals who try to keep each other in check." Rose swallowed. "Yet, they are working together on shaping the events of my life for some future purpose. The White Guardian, like I told you, does actually seem to care about my well-being. He doesn't want me getting hurt or suffering mental breakdowns at least. The Doctor comes around often to make sure that I have the support that I need to deal with the events of my life." Rose laughed and gestured down the street towards where the Fifth Doctor had vanished with his companions. "Even if it isn't intentional on his part, that's just how it works now."

"So you really were telling the truth then," Ace said softly.

"You believed me then," Rose said, crossing her arms, "when you didn't know me well. What did you think now?"

"I thought…" Ace sighed. "I thought that maybe the Doctor was the one who was shaping the events of your life in some weird attempt to create his ideal companion. Maybe he had convinced you otherwise so that he was both the good guy and the manipulator." Ace laughed, "It sounds a bit silly now that I say it to you."

Rose didn't laugh and studied the woman in front of her. "I'm not like the rest of you," Rose said a moment later. "I know that. I'm not someone who wandered into the TARDIS or that the Doctor rescued from danger who asked to travel with him. I'm the girl that he kept meeting over and over and who has always risen to the occasion. I'm the person that he asked to travel with him and that he has to wait for, not the other way around."

"That's what worries us," Ace said, "If he's really hurting that much then being someone like that to him could be … well complicated."

"Complicated?" Rose questioned raising an eyebrow. "Ace, come on and just tell me."

"Ian and I have noticed that he's very affectionate with you," Ace said. She took a deep breath and then said, "We're worried that he may have romantic inclinations towards you."

"And that would bother you?" Rose asked, titling her head.

Ace blinked, a bit stunned by the question. "Well… you're a lot younger than him and you've known him since you were just a kid."

"Then surely that would concern the Doctor also," Rose said calmly with a shrug. In reality, she knew that it still did bother his Ninth self.

"I suppose," Ace answered, "But the Doctor isn't human. He doesn't always hold to the same morality as a human."

"You're still angry with him aren't you," Rose said. "I know you've tried to forgive him."

"I do forgive him," Ace said. "I really do and I understand why he needed to. I just… I still miss the time that I could trust him absolutely." Ace sighed. "I miss when I didn't fear him a little. After what happened, I could always see that glint in his eye and I hated knowing what it was."

"He was like a father to you," Rose said gently. "I can see why that would be hard."

"Doesn't it bother you?" Ace asked. "Knowing what he's capable of."

"He's never been perfect to me," Rose answered. "When I saw him trying to fight Spellman, his plan was failing and he wasn't doing very well. The Doctor was never on a pedestal with me, I knew from the start that he wouldn't always win. I knew from the start that he had fears and things that haunted him. For me what matters is that he tries." Rose smiled at Ace, "I think that's one of the reasons he likes me so much, I really do try to accept how he is."

Ace swallowed and looked at Rose carefully before she nodded. "Okay," she said, "I'll accept that for now."

"Oh?" Rose said raising an eyebrow.

"I don't think it's that simple," Ace said firmly, "But…" she looked past Rose in the direction the Fifth Doctor had gone and shook her head. "But you seem to know what is happening and," Ace sighed again before she finished, "And I'll back off about you and the Doctor." She shook her head. "It would seem that even he has no control over…. whatever is between the two of you."

"Really?" Rose asked surprised.

"It's your life and you seem to have decided that this is how you want to live it." Ace reached over and put a hand of Rose's shoulder. "Just remember that if you need to talk about it or decide that you want to I'm here."

"Thanks," Rose answered with a nod. "Right now I'm still trying to sort it all out myself. I'm just not ready for everyone to know."

"Okay," Ace said with a nod and a slight smile. They stared at each other for a moment before Ace stood up and offered Rose her hand. "Come on I'm hungry and there's this good Mexican place a few blocks down."

"Sounds good," Rose said taking Ace hand and standing up. "And Ace."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

Ace grinned and swung her arm over Rose's shoulder, "Come on Thorn, food awaits."

"Any chance I can get you to not call me that?" Rose asked.

"Nope!" Ace said with a grin, "I like it, that's what I'm going to call you now."

"Then I'll call you Dorothy," Rose replied with a smirk. "So lead on Dorothy."

"Shut it Rose," Ace answered with a sigh.


	60. Gate of the Sun: Return of Astra

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Sixty: Return of Astra

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: This is it! The last episode of season 1 of my little alternate reality! Thanks for sticking with me for so long and the awesome supportive reviews. I really was just curious if I was going to have my first story hit 1,000 reviews I wasn't trying to hold the story hostage or anything, but huge thanks to all who reviewed.

The Mercado de Hechicería, the Witch Market of La Paz, Bolivia was one of the odder places that Rose Tyler had ever been in her life. The stone street was lined with small tables, shelves and stalls full of things she had never before seen. It resembled other markets that Rose had seen in London over her life with the shops filling the lower level of the street. Brightly colored awning and flags drew the attention of locals and tourists alike to various sights as the peddlers bartered and in some cases overcharged. The long street had people moving from stall to stall with only a rare vehicle driving through. What was different was many of the products there were on display, the smell of the food and the language around her. Rose had removed her translator and slipped it into her pocket in favor of hearing the rich accents echo through the street, thick with the local dialects of the city and the surrounding areas.

Rose Tyler's eyes swept over a large stall and she stopped to examine the wares more closely. An older indigenous woman gave her a toothy smile as Rose leaned forward to examine a small soapstone statue. It reminded Rose of both a totem pole, Incan artwork and Aztec artwork that she'd seen in museums. The simple wooden display was stuffed with seeds and dried herbs, but the one next to it held bits of frogs and insects.

"Rose!" the voice of Sharon called from a few feet down the street at another stall, "Come look at this!"

Rose turned towards the voice and spotted her mates Sharon and Shireen across the street and down a bit. Shireen was holding a book on La Paz in her hands and staring into a box while Sharon motioned for Rose to join them. A box on the stall's main table was full of odd little figures that Rose blinked at. They were dried husks of some kind of animal, but oddly small and Rose couldn't quite figure out what it was.

"Dried llama fetuses," Shireen provided with an odd look on her face. She looked down at her guide book and read, "They are buried in the foundations of new buildings as an offering to the goddess Pachamama. Apparently this will protect the workers from accidents and bring good luck to the business."

"It's a remnant of the Incan culture," a warm older voice said coming up to them. Rose turned and smile at Jo Jones as she joined them, a beautiful poncho over her shoulders. "After all, western Bolivia was once part of the empire."

"Interesting," Sharon said slowly with a nod. "A bit creepy too."

"That's part of other cultures my darlings," Jo said with a smile. "Learning to understand and appreciate their cultural quirks, just like we British have our own."

"I suppose," Shireen replied with a glance back at the lamas. "So everyone does this?"

"Those who are wealthy are expected to sacrifice a live llama to Pachamama," Jo said. "Have you girls picked up the traditional talismans?" 

"No," Rose said, "we were just looking first."

"Well then," Jo said. "The little soapstone statues that you see are talismans, I want each of you to find one you like. It's part of visiting Bolivia."

Sharon and Shireen glanced at each other and shrugged. They moved away from the llama fetuses and to a display of the numerous soapstone figures.

"Having fun?" Jo asked Rose.

"It's very different than Europe or New York City," Rose agreed with a smile. "So yeah I'm enjoying it."

"I'm so glad you came down here," Jo said as she took Rose's arm and led her after the others. "It's good to see your home planet, especially before rushing off to see others."

Rose smiled and nodded. "Thanks for being such a great host," Rose said to Jo. "Especially with Sharon and Shireen joining at the last moment."

"Well with what happen in New York I can't blame them for worrying about the rest of your trip in the United States." Jo paused and then added, "After all it's August and nothing has happened yet to you with aliens."

"You just jinxed it you know," Rose said with a smile. "Now there is going to be something to do with aliens while I'm here visiting you."

"Could be fun," Jo said with a laugh. "Anyway, come on talismans and then lunch. It's time you girls gave the local dishes a try."

Rose joined Sharon and Shireen at one of the stalls that had a large wooden shelf stuffed with small soapstone statues of every size.

"Oh this one is for love," Jo said with a wink at Rose.

"Not my major concern Jo," Rose said patiently. "Your grandson is nice, but no."

Jo sighed and shook her head, but grinned when Shireen picked up the love talisman.

"I'll give it a shot," Shireen said with a smile. "Been a month since I had a decent date."

"What's this one for?" Sharon asked pointing at small statue that reminded Rose of an owl.

"That's for money," Jo replied.

"Anything for good grades in school?"

"Most of the locals would see a sorcerer for that," Jo said with a laugh as she pointed down the street to a man speaking with one of the locals near another stall.

"I'll just take one for luck," Rose said as she picked up a figure that was humanoid, but had a large headdress on its head.

"Sounds good," Shireen said as she picked up another of the same talismans. "Twins," she said holding it up by Rose's.

"Triplets," Sharon said picking one up for herself.

Jo laughed and shook her head, but didn't say anything as the girls paid for the talismans. Rose slipped hers straight into her bag and turned back to Jo. "You said something about food."

"Indeed I did," Jo said. "A friend of mine owns a little place a few blocks down. Excellent food and very friendly to tourists."

"Not that Rose can't put on her translator and sound just like a local," Shireen muttered under her breath as they started following Jo down the street. Sharon and Shireen linked arms as they continued to look around. Rose smiled at her friends and kept glancing at the local faces as they moved through the market.

"Rose Tyler?" A familiar feminine voice suddenly called out from behind them.

Rose turned quickly, dropping her arm in case she needed her sword, but her worry vanished in a moment. Standing in the middle of the market street with a small bag slung over one shoulder was Astra Wolfe. Her long brown hair was partially tied back with her long bangs swept to the side as usual. Rose took her in with a wide smile, her old friend from Horath Academy didn't look to have changed much.

"Astra!" Rose cried as she rushed over to her. "I can't believe it!"

Astra laughed and threw her arms around Rose, hugging her tightly for a moment. "I'm full of surprises," the brunette answered.

"It's great to see you," Rose said.

"I called you only two weeks ago," Astra said with a shake of her head.

"Yeah I know," Rose said with a shrug, "That's different from seeing you in person."

Astra's smile softened and she nodded. "It is," she agreed. "Sorry I can't see you more often."

"Never mind that," Rose said as she turned back to her friends. "Sharon, Shireen you remember Astra."

"Of course," Shireen said stepping forward to give Astra a quick and friendly hug. "Good to see you."

"You look great," Sharon said in greeting, hugging Astra herself. "Hard to believe we haven't seen you since Horath."

"Ah yes, the evil place," Astra said with a shudder before dropping her voice and whispering, "not to mention all the aliens." 

"Astra?" Jo said curiously as she walked forward to join them. "This was your roommate at Horath Academy."

"Guilty," Astra said holding out her hand to Jo. "A pleasure to meet you…"

"Oh I'm Jo Jones, a friend of the girls. They came here by my invitation."

"Why are you here?" Rose asked as she glanced around. "Are your parents here?" 

"No," Astra said shaking her head, "Daddy and Mummy are in Lima actually, but agreed to let me take a little adventure to Bolivia on my own."

"By yourself in South America?" Sharon questioned with wide eyes.

"I'm nineteen," Astra defended with a shrug. "And my mother's daughter," she added with a small smile.

"Well dear we were about to get lunch," Jo said pleasantly, "Won't you join us."

"I don't want to impose," Astra said politely.

"Oh nonsenses darling," Jo said affectionately. "Any friend of the girls is welcome."

Astra's smile widened again and she nodded in acceptance. Sharon blinked at the girl and glanced at Rose with a strange look on her face before she shook her head. The four teenagers followed Jo through a labyrinth of stone streets until they came to a small restaurant tucked back on a side street.

The place was larger than the exterior suggested with a high ceiling that had old looking molding around the edges. Jo greeted one of the waitresses and asked if Monica was there. A few moments after the young waitresses vanished through a door in the back, an older woman with her long grey hair bound up in a tight bun, wearing colorful traditional clothing, a wide smile on her face. She greeted Jo in Spanish and hugged the small British woman tightly before escorting them to a table tucked back in a private corner.

"Girls this is Monica, an old friend of mine and Cliff's."

"How is that husband of yours?" Monica questioned.

"He's very well, he's in Madagascar right now" Jo said with a smile. "I'm just stopping off here to visit Michael and show the girls some sights."

"Well tell him to come and see us!" Monica said firmly. "The man needs to slow down a bit."

"Oh he'll keep this pace up forever," Jo said with a laugh. "But I'll pass on your message."

"Good," Monica answered with a nod. "What would you and your young friends like today?"

"How about a sampler," Jo suggested, "Other than Astra, I know the girls haven't had much of the local food yet."

"Excellent," Monica said with a smile before turning to Rose, Sharon, Shireen and Astra. "You're in for a treat, we have excellent food here."

Monica vanished back to the kitchens and Jo turned back to them. "Lunch is the main meal here in Bolivia," she offered. "Monica does offer some American dishes for tourists, but I think its time to get you girls some local food."

"I'm now a little worried," Sharon said looking over at some of the other tables.

"Oh don't be," Astra said with a wide smile. "A lot of it is really good, the main traditional staples aren't that different from Britain: potatoes, beans and corn. Plus the Spanish influence means that a lot of rice, wheat and chicken are used too." Astra paused and frowned a little, "But I've never been able to eat guinea pig."

"Did you have one as a child?" Jo asked, ignoring the shocked look on Sharon's face.

"No," Astra replied, "Pets weren't really something my family did. We traveled all the time and sometimes were away for days at a time."

"Cliff and I raised our children on the road," Jo said with an understanding nod. "It can be hard, but very rewarding."

"I completely agree," Astra said with a nod. "I'm very lucky."

"So," Shireen said to Astra, "How long have you been in town?"

"Just got here yesterday," Astra replied. "I'm at a hostel about a mile from here. How about you lot?"

"We got here by train from Caracas two days ago," Sharon supplied with a grin. "We joined Rose there for her tour of South America."

"Right," Astra said with a nod to Rose, "You were visiting friends in the states before coming south."

"Yeah," Rose said with a nod. "Do you have plans for tomorrow?"

"Not really," Astra said with a shrug. "I figures I'd wander a bit in the city."

"We're going to Tiwanaku," Shireen said with a smile. "Why don't you join us?"

"Are you sure?" Astra asked looking at Jo.

"I've got my son's van darling," Jo said with a smile. "I can fit at least seven people in it. You coming with us is no trouble."

"Thank you," Astra said. "Just tell me where to meet you and I'll happily tag along. Have you ever been to Tiwanaku?" Astra asked Jo.

"About two decades ago," Jo answered with laugh. "Not long after I left the Amazon."

"Jo is probably the greatest world traveler," Rose said with a smirk, "And the Jones family has probably covered every inch of the world."

"That's not true," Jo said with a shake of her head. "I've only ever been the shores of Antarctica and not very far into the Artic Circle."

"Still really impressive," Sharon said with a smile.

They stopped talking about traveling in favor of food as their first course of soup arrived along with a large platter of food. Jo laughed at the confused looks on their faces, but refused to explain any of the foods until they tried them. To be honest this was probably a good plan on her part. Astra having visited the area before watched in amusement and happily dug into several of the small pastries, insisting that they were a lot like shepard's pie.

In the end Astra folded to Jo's offer of letting her stay at the 'Jones Camp' just outside of town with her friends. After lunch, the entire city quieted for siesta and the group wandered the streets enjoying the calm and architecture into the later afternoon. They swung by the hostel to check the girl out and grab her surprisingly small backpack before heading back out of the city.

The 'Jones Camp' was the home of Jo's third son Michael who had put down roots for a bit when he married a local La Paz girl named Andrea and had their first child. It was no secret that he'd be back on the road doing the family business within a few years, but for now his home outside the city provided a ground zero for the Jones Family. Rose thought it was a brilliant place. The main house was a simple old farm house, but the old barn had been redone with a floor, shower room and lighting after the stalls on the right side were removed. Michael Jones had hammocks strung up in all of the old stalls, creating tiny rooms for guests complete with hooks for clothing and a few wall shelves. The central area of the barn contained a table and chairs.

"This is neat," Astra observed as she walked into the barn. "I like it."

"It is pretty fun," Sharon agreed. "Pick a bunk."

Astra nodded and walked over to a nearby stall and unpacked a few basics before returning to her friends. "So you've only briefly mentioned Jo in the past, how did you meet her?"

"Aliens," Rose said calmly. "She has a history with them too."

"The Doctor?" Astra questioned.

"Wait a second," Shireen said with wide eyes. "You know about the Doctor?"

"I told her," Rose said with a shrug as she pulled out a sketchbook from her bag. "I mean she knows about aliens, she helped her evacuate Apep's ship." Rose turned to Astra and added, "Oh and I saw Apep again last month in New York."

"That thing at the Met?" Astra guessed.

"That's it," Rose said before looking at Sharon and Shireen. "I seriously never mentioned that I told her about him?"

"No," Shireen said, shaking her head.

"Oh, well I did about a year after Horath," Rose said. "I trusted her at that point enough."

"Frankly I'm the one that should have had trust issues," Astra muttered. "You're really scary carrying an axe."

"Axe?" Shireen asked with a raised eyebrow, "What axe?"

"You don't know about the axe?" Astra asked. "Rose Tyler using it to rip about school furniture?"

"No," Shireen said with a smile. "She skipped that part."

Rose groaned and walked away from the table to sit in one of the recliners in the central area. "I'm ignoring you," she said to her friends as she flipped the sketchbook open to the picture of the market she had worked on early in the day.

"So Astra," Sharon said she handed the brunette a glass of water, "Tell us the rest of the story."

Rose glanced over at the trio who had happily started talking about her. "I know understand the Doctor's fear of companions being friends more than I did before."

Shireen leaned on her hand calmly while she listened to Sharon and Astra chatting. Her eyes traced Astra's profile and looked beyond the brunette to Rose who was sitting and working on her artwork, actively ignoring them. She couldn't help but notice the similarities between Astra and Rose, especially when Astra smiled. Had Astra been from London she would suspected that were cousins, but Astra was always evasive about where she was actually from. Shireen frowned a little, Astra was very evasion and vague on a lot of things and yet Rose trusted her. While Rose did like to see the good in people and had a history with Astra, it wasn't like her to ignore inconsistencies. Shireen studied the girl in front of her again and glanced over at Rose a moment later. She wasn't imagining it; they definitely had some similar features. Shireen blinked as the last piece of the puzzle slid into place and she realized why Astra's other features were familiar, the ones that weren't Rose were softened feminine versions of the Tenth's Doctor's.

"Shireen," Astra called, "You okay?"

Shireen blinked and focused on what Astra was saying. "What?"

"Are you okay? Sharon asked if you wanted anything since she's running to the house?"

"Oh, no thanks," Shireen said to Sharon.

"Alright," Sharon said with a nod. "I'll be right back."

"You spaced out," Astra said with a smile as she reached out to pick up her water.

Shireen reached out and caught Astra's wrist, not really thinking the action through. She settled her fingers quickly against the pulse points and gasped. There was a distinct double pulse beneath her fingers. Her eyes flew back to Astra's face. The brunette had an amused smile on her face and brought her free hand up, placing a finger over her mouth.

"Who are you?" Shireen whispered.

"You already know the answer to that," Astra observed quietly.

Releasing Astra wrist, Shireen sat back and stared at her, glancing once again between Astra and Rose. "But-"

"Time travel," Astra whispered, "Not really a big deal in my family."

"Why are you here?" Shireen asked. "Horath academy I get, but is this really a coincidence?"

"No," Astra admitted. "Mum told me I had to meet her younger self here."

"Something's coming," Shireen said softly. "We need to tell Rose."

"Absolutely not," Astra hissed. "She's been working on just accepting her life with aliens and Daddy, putting a kid on her won't be fair." Astra raised an eyebrow and added, "Would you want to know that at the age of nineteen."

"No," Shireen said. "Fine, I'll keep your secret."

"Thank you," Astra said. "Mum wouldn't tell me why I needed to be here, but she hinted it was more than just timelines. I think something is going to happen, something really important."


	61. Gate of the Sun: Tiwanaku

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Sixty-One: Tiwanaku

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Sorry this is a little late; I've been dealing with a cold all week along with a major car breakdown. This chapter is for saturngurl123 who continues to be a huge help to me in cleaning up the errors in this story! There is a lot of information in this chapter to help set the stage since the setting isn't as famous as many other Doctor Who locations, but I won't do this too often.

The drive up to Tiwanaku was mostly pleasant as the group chatted and ate their morning snacks. The most uncomfortable part was the altitude climb that left Rose forcing herself to yawn to keep her hearing working. She could definitely feel the change in the air and wished that her life at sea level hadn't left her so awkward to the change. Shireen and Sharon were having similar problems while Jo and Astra gave them sympatric looks.

"It'll pass," Astra promised. She snatched up the guide book and opened to the appropriate page. "Come on, let's get your mind off of it."

"Good idea," Jo said from the driver's seat with a grin.

"Located near the southern shore of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia, the city of Tiwanaku was the capital of a powerful pre-Inca civilization that dominated the Andean region between 500 and 900 AD. The monumental remains of this great culture include several temples, a pyramid, symbolic gates, monoliths and mysterious carvings of alien-like faces. Arriving later, the Incas regarded Tiahuanaco as the site of creation by their god Viracoca, who rose from the depths of Lake Titicaca," Astra raised an eyebrow and looked over at Rose. "Should we be worried Jeopardy Friendly."

"I just battled an alien thought to be a god," Rose said with a slight pout. "So don't look at me." Rose blinked and then asked, "Who told you about the Jeopardy Friendly thing?"

"I did," Shireen said quickly when Astra's eyes widened slightly. "Last night. I thought she'd find it funny."

"You have too much fun at my experience," Rose said with a pout.

"At its height, the city was home to 20,000 inhabitants, but by 1200 AD, the Tiwanaku people had ceased to exist as a powerful regional civilization. However, the culture lived on through its strong religious influence on the Incas. The Incas believed the city was built by the god Viracocha himself and was the place where the first humans were created and the capital from which Viracocha reigned over the civilization."

"Sounds interesting," Sharon said as she looked out the window. There were beautiful mountains in the distance, but most of the land around them was dry and dull with very few trees.

"Well some call it the South American Stonehenge," Astra observed.

"Girls," Jo said to regain their attention as they made another turn up a hill. "Just ahead."

Rose leaned to the side so she could see out the windshield. Up head was a small town with a tall church steeple visual. Up ahead a group of minibuses were unloading tourists with camera and bags. Rose couldn't help but grin in excitement as Jo maneuvered the van into a parking spot.

"Here we are," Jo announced. "Everybody out!"

Astra led the unloading by jumping straight out. Rose climbed out next and stretched her arms as Sharon and Shireen unfolded themselves.

"Turn around," Jo said with a smile to Rose.

Obeying the older woman, Rose turned and looked across the street. A large statue stood at the edge of the entrance to the Tiwanaku site. Behind it were large pillars and stone rising a little above the current dirt level.

"It is a lower site," Jo explained softly. "The sunken courtyard is a real sight to see."

They approached the entrance the sight and admired the statues and monolithic architecture they could see rising above them. As Rose and Jo stepped forward to pay for their tickets, Shireen grabbed Astra's hand and whispered, "You've never been here right?"

"No," Astra said. "This is my first time here too."

Shireen tensed up and looked over at Rose. Astra squeezed her hand and said, "It will be okay, the problem may not even be here, but back in the city tomorrow or the day after."

"I suppose," Shireen said softly. "Just keep an eye on your mother… wow that is odd to say."

"I'll stay close to her," Astra promised before she stepped away from Shireen and walked towards Rose.

"What's wrong?" Sharon asked as she came over to Shireen, her eyes flickering between Shireen and Astra.

"I guess the thin air is getting to me a bit," Shireen said quickly. "Oh, come on they've got our tickets."

The group entered the sight and Rose let out a soft gasp of amazement. She'd seen monolithic structures in England, heck she'd defeated an alien plot in one and she'd seen the great structures of Rome, but Tiwanaku was completely different. The tightly fitted stones were a variety of sizes, locked together carefully in almost of mosaic of earth tones and in some places carved faces looked out from the walls. Jo led the group down into the sunken courtyard where the effect was even clearer. A few guards stood around the area keeping their eyes on the toursits, but the atmosphere was happy and excited as everyone snapped photos. Sharon pulled out her own camera and began taking pictures of the ruins.

"So Viracocha?" Rose asked turning to Jo. "Do you know about him?"

"Well not much is known about the pre-Incan views of Viracocha, but he was the most important deity in the Inca pantheon. They saw him as the creator of all things and he was associated with the sea. Viracocha created the universe, sun, moon and stars, time and civilization itself." Jo gestured to the whole area, "As the guidebook said the Incas thought that he created this city."

"I wonder what he was to these people," Rose said softly as she looked around.

"I don't know," Jo said with a grin. "Maybe you'll have to come here in the TARDIS one day and find out."

"And leave something weird for the archeologists to find," Rose added with a smile.

They each wandered through the courtyard area ruins, examining the statues that were on display and enjoying the difference from anything they'd seen in Europe before. Rose has pulled out her sketchbook and was doing a quick drawing of one of the statues that was all straight lines and rounded corners.

"You're talented," a male voice said from behind her.

Rose tensed and turned, she hadn't felt anyone walking up next to her. The man was about six feet tall with sandy brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a college t-shirt and blue jeans under a windbreaker. Rose put him at about her own age and judging from his accent he was American, probably from the west coast.

"Sorry I didn't mean to startle you," the man said with a soft smile. "I just wanted to compliment you."

"Its fine," Rose said with a nod, forcing herself to relax her posture. "I just get really focused when I draw."

"Well like I said you're talented," the man said. "I'm Brian." He held out his hand and Rose accepted it for a quick handshake. His hand was almost icy cold.

"Rose," she said with a nod.

"Lovely name," Brian said. "I'd use the Shakespeare quote, but I suspect you hear that a lot."

"Pretty often," Rose agreed with a nod.

"So can I buy you lunch?" Brian asked with a smile.

"I have someone," Rose said quickly, "But thank you."

"Ah," Brian said with a nod. "Of course you do." He smiled widely. "Let me guess attractive, intelligent and always on the go."

Rose wasn't sure how to respond to that last statement. Brian smirked at her silence and gave her a nod. "Have a good day Rose," he said before he turned to and walked away.

Rose frowned she watched Brian walk towards the Kalasasaya Mound, the area that was raised on the far side of the sunken courtyard. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Astra staring after him with a frown for a moment before the brunette quickly walked over to her.

"You alright?" Astra asked.

"I'm fine," Rose promised with a forced smile. "Just a guy trying to flirt, don't worry."

But the frown on Astra's face didn't disappear. "I'll be right back," Astra said as her eyes returned to the strange man. She didn't wait for Rose to respond and followed the man out of the courtyard.

Frowning, Rose glanced over her shoulder at Sharon and Shireen who were looking at a statue with Jo before looking back at Astra. She shook her head and took off after Astra and the strange man. Staying back, Rose followed the man as he walked quickly towards the Gate of the Sun. Two guards were standing near the large stone gateway and when the stranger stopped to look at it, Rose paused to examine it herself a few feet back with Astra.

The large stone archway stood on a flat and barren space with cabling running along in front of it. The archway was about 10 feet tall and maybe 13 feet wide, carved from one huge block of stone. The side supports were plain, but the top of the archway was covered with small squares, each having a figure carved in them. Most of the effigies had human faces, but some had effigies with some kind of bird's head. These squares surrounded and all faces a large central figure at the very top of the archway. This central figure was what really caught Rose's attention. It was a head in the same style as the other statues, but rays of light were carved coming from it. The figure also held two stylized staffs, one in each hand. Rose also noticed a large crack in the stone through the top section near the main figure.

Brian looked over his shoulder at them and smirked. Rose moved to walk closer to the group of tourists crowding to get a look at the Gateway, but Astra grabbed her hand. "Don't," Astra hissed. "I don't like the way he's looking at you."

Rose didn't either. Brian's expression had gone from friendly and flirty to cold and calculating with a bit of amusement tossed it as well. She started to move forward again, but Astra's grip was surprisingly strong as her friend actually pulled her back from the Gateway. Brian's eyes had now moved to Astra and his smile became more amused as he studied her. Returning his eyes to Rose, he winked and then turned back to the Gateway.

"Something is wrong with that man," Astra hissed. "He's not just weird."

"Astra," Rose said as she tried to pull away, "Let's tell one of the security officers."

A yell from by the gateway made them both turn back towards the ancient monument. Brian has slipped under the wire fence that marked off the area and was walking towards the Gateway. Both of the security guards were shouting at him, one in Spanish and one in English to get away from the Gateway and back into the proper area. Brian turned back to them with a spin on his heel and pulled out a strange box. Rose once again started to move forward, but was grabbed by Astra. Brian opened the box and there was a flash of light that Rose shut her eyes against on instinct.

The light lasted for over thirty seconds before Rose was able to open her eyes. The mysterious Brian was standing next to the Gateway of the Sun, the security guards and most of the tourists who had been close to him were on the ground. Rose took a moment to look them over, she could see several breathing and shifting slightly.

Reassured that Brain hadn't killed them, Rose turned her eyes back to him and stepped forward as Astra let go of her arm. Brian smiled as the pair of them moved towards him, but then turned back to the Gateway. He moved to the center of the arch, the gate itself and stepped into the center. He placed his hands on the two side of the gateway and Rose gasped as his hands glowed. The brilliant white glow spread from his hands into the stone and through the entire stone gateway. Rose jumped over another body and rushed forward. The stone shimmered and Rose had to shield her eyes as Brian stepped back from the gateway. The large crack glowed brightly before the stone seemed to mend itself.

Symbols appeared all over the stone in a rapid sequence flashing brightly before they were replaced by more symbols. Rose grabbed Brian and tossed him onto the ground. She summoned her sword and held it down by his chest.

"Who are you and what did you do?"

"Well, this body belongs to a college student named Brian Whitmore, but I'm the Silver Lord." Rose blinked, that was the name she had said at Sarah Jane's wedding, but couldn't remember the source. "As for what I've done…." The Silver Lord looked at the glowing gateway and grinned. "You may want to call the boyfriend now."

Rose reached for her mobile, but a sudden shockwave knocked her off of her feet. Her sword fell to the ground and returned to bracelet form. Astra stumbled to her knees next to Rose. Both girls turned back to the Gateway of the Sun just in time to see a portal of bright white light form in the center of the structure and a figure begin to step through.


	62. Gate of the Sun: Chronovore

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Sixty-Two: The Chronovore

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: I had to redo about half of this chapter because an update completely hosed up my personal computer and I had to fight to get my system working again. It isn't back to normal yet, but at least I can access my files and the internet. Can't seem to get a break lately. This episode was inspired by the Classic Third Doctor story the Time Monster and it starts to show here.

Rose turned her face away from the Gate of the Sun and shielded her eyes at the bright flash of light. A strange feeling of dread washed over her, making her legs tremble and her arms feel heavy. Everything was a wash of white for several seconds before the world shifted back into view.

Rose turned and gasped, standing in the entry space of the Gate of the Sun was a being a little larger than herself. It was pure-white and vaguely humanoid in shape with large spanning swings and a smooth almost helmet-like head. It was such a pure and intense white color that it was difficult to focus on. The prone human bodies on the ground began to vanish one by one from view, leaving no trace.

Rose felt Astra grab her hand and start pulling her back. This time she didn't struggled as they maneuvered back from the strange figure. Rose's eyes moved to the gate which was still shining and she slipped her hand into her pocket to grab her translator. Slipping it on, Rose tried to make sense of the strange symbols, but they were moving faster than she could properly make out. What she saw were the words: 'chronovore, seal, trap, time, save' over and over again repeating in some kind of loop.

"Chronovore?" Roes whispered in some confusion. Time eater? The name made no sense to her, but filled her with dread and soundly oddly familiar to her. Like a memory of a dream.

"Rose," Astra hissed as she pulled on Rose's arm.

The being in the gate now moved forward, not properly walking, but more like gliding over the ground. It let out a strange noise that was between a bird cry and a scream. Rose's skin crawled and she took another step back as she pulled out her mobile. She quickly pressed the speed dial for the TARDIS, but a moment later 'No Signal' flashed on the screen.

Brian or rather the Silver Lord started to laugh as he climbed to his feet. Then he made an elegant bow to the white being.

"I welcome you back," he greeted pleasantly. "And I offer you a special meal that's a bit more interesting that those little humans," The Silver Lord said as he gestured towards Rose and Astra. "Then we can talk."

The white being shimmered and moved towards them, ignoring the fallen humans before it. Astra gripped Rose's arm. "Run!"

Rose hesitated and shoved Astra ahead of herself as they rushed for the sunken courtyard. Behind her the terrible cry of the strange being made Rose shudder. Risking a glance over her shoulder, Rose saw the creature advancing on them very quickly. They reached the edge of the sunken courtyard to find Jo, Sharon and Shireen moving towards the gate.

"Girls?!" Jo cried in relief, "We heard screaming!"

"Run!" Rose shouted, grabbing Jo's hand. "We have to move!"

Loud screams from around the area causing Rose to turn around, the white being was now flying over the ruins. Another horrible soundscream came from it and it swooped down at a nearby tourist who was foolishly trying to take a picture. They stumbled out of the sunken courtyard, but the being was gaining. Then suddenly the creature hit a barrier, one that Rose could not see. It flapped its wings, hovering in the air just beyond above them.

"It stopped," Sharon said, gasping for air. "Why?"

"Something is stopping it," Astra said as she examined the creature. "But what?"

Rose frowned at the creature as it tried to bash through the invisible wall. She looked around, they were at the edge of the old pyramid that had dominated the site. All around them tourists were running and screaming for the buses and vehicles. One brave security guard still in the site pulled out his gun and fired two shots at the creature. The creature spun to the man and swooped down him, the gun dropped to the ground and the man vanished.

"I think this is its prison," Astra said, voicing Rose's thought. "We're at the edge of the ancient site and it can't cross. The Silver Lord opened its cell, but it still can't leave the prison."

Rose looked down at her mobile, it still showed no signal. "We've got a big problem," Rose said holding up her phone. "This phone should always have a signal and yet it doesn't." Rose turned and saw that Jo's face was white with shock. "Jo?"

The older woman did not respond. "Jo?" Rose repeated more forcefully. "Do you know what it is?"

"It's a chronovore," Jo answered softly, her voice tense with fear. "I'm not sure if it's the same one I saw years ago." Jo swallowed. "They are very powerful and they consume time energy. One called Kronos even tried to devour the Doctor's energy."

"What happened when you encountered that chronovore?" Rose asked Jo, not taking her eyes off of the creature.

"The Master was trying to control it," Jo answered. "But he couldn't and Kronos destroyed Atlantis." Jo swallowed, "Honestly it was one of the most terrifying things I ever saw with the Doctor. Kronos claimed to be beyond good and evil and offered to destroy the Master to repay the Doctor for preventing its bondage to the Master."

"Do you think this is Kronos?" Rose asked.

"No," Jo answered after a moment. "I don't think so, if Astra is right and this is its prison then it's been here for centuries while Kronos was freed in the 1970s."

"The Silver Lord released him," Rose said with a frown, trying to remember something, but unable to catch the thought. "Maybe he has a connection to the chronovores."

"So what do we do?" Sharon asked.

Rose bit her lip and looked up at the circling white being that was looking for weaknesses in the dome that seemed to be holding it in. She turned to Jo and handed her the mobile. "Jo, drive away from here and see if you can contact the Doctor."

"You have his number in your mobile?" Jo asked with wide eyes.

"I'm afraid so," Rose answered with a sheepish smile. "Part of being the jeopardy friendly on." Rose's face returned to being serious, "But I have no idea how to fight this thing or how far out the interference goes."

Jo looked down at the phone and then at the girls. Sharon looked at Rose and then nodded. "I'll check over the people who haven't run away yet for injuries."

"And I'll try to get the locals to evacuate," Shireen said. "And see if the land lines work somehow."

"I doubt they will," Rose said, "But give it a go."

"Be careful," Sharon ordered Rose while Shireen gave Astra a worried look.

"I'll look after Rose," Astra promised with a small smile.

Jo nodded and hugged Rose quickly before she rushed towards their van to head back towards town with Rose's mobile. Shireen and Sharon each gave Rose a quick hug before they ran across the street to the town proper.

"Any ideas?" Rose asked Astra as they looked up at the white being.

"It came through the gate," Astra said. "We need to get back there."

"Except the gate is deep in this protective field," Rose pointed out. "That thing will be able to get to us."

"I'll sneak around the side," Astra said as they moved towards the town. "Come up the side to get to the Gate."

"Astra," Rose said. "This is too dangerous."

"How long will it take Jo to get somewhere where the phone works?" Astra asked pointedly. "If that thing really does eat time for its power then it is back in a place where it merely has to consume the air. Our world is ruled by time and that thing gains power every moment it is here." Astra's tone was nearly frantic.

Rose caught her friend's hand and looked at her. "Deep breathe Astra," Rose commanded gently.

"I'll go," Astra said. "You should stay here and wait for Jo."

"Out of the question," Rose said firmly. "Besides if you're right about that thing then my sword my come in handy. The Eternals exist outside of time and it can hurt them, maybe it can hurt that thing."

"I don't know," Astra said with a nervous glance.

"Plus we've not only got that thing to worry about, but the Silver Lord," Rose said. "And I think I've got a score to settle with him."

"You think?" Astra asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I can't remember what he did at Sarah Jane's wedding," Rose said. "Not to me anyway, but he used an innocent being to attack my family and I'm never okay with that."

"Alright then," Astra said as she pulled out a map of the site from her back pocket. "Let's consult the freebie."

"Always take the freebie," Rose agreed with a smile. "Especially if it's a map."

They looked at each other for a long moment, the map open but forgotten between them. "This is really stupid you know," Rose said.

"Yeah," Astra swallowed, "But you're the Defender of Earth and all that jazz."

"Doesn't mean I like this idea," Rose said before she gave a humorless laugh. "Doesn't mean I'm not terrified of that thing, but Jo said it can destroy whole civilizations and I'm not going to let it get lose on Earth."

"Right," Astra said with a small smile. "Let's go then."

They didn't say anything else as Astra led Rose to the edge of the Tiwanaku town and headed north. Rose's eyes kept glancing back towards the ruins where she could still see a white blur knocking at the edges of a dome that she could barely see with the sun at its current angle.

They hiked down a small narrow road that ran along part of the ruins and then moved west so they could come up the side of the archeological site. The fence didn't take long to get around with the help of the sonic pen and then they were hiking up a steep slope towards the Gateway of the Sun. 

Astra peeked over the edge and almost sighed in relief when she didn't see the Silver Lord or the chronovore near the gate. Another scream of frustration from the trapped chronovore down at the far edge of the site encouraged Astra and she climbed up to the top of the hill. Reaching down, Astra helped Rose join her and they both turned their attention to the Gate of the Sun.

It was still glowing with the strange symbols running their pattern, but they were slowing down. Rose moved forward to the gate and held her hand near it. Astra joined her, but further back as the time energy met her young time lady senses. The portal shimmered in the Gateway, but seemed to be fading as Astra could see the other the mountains in the distance through it.

"I wouldn't touch it," Astra warned Rose. "My skin is crawling being near it."

"Yeah," Rose agreed softly. "How are we supposed to get it back in there."

"We may have to stall," Astra said. "And hope that either the TARDIS brings the Doctor or Jo manages to call him."

Rose bit her lip and pulled out the sonic pen. "Maybe I can adjust the gate," she suggested.

"I don't see any controls," Astra said. "This thing is a one solid piece of stone and yet is also advanced technology." Astra shook her head, "It's incredible."

"Brilliant," Rose agreed with a sigh. "And I have no clue where to start."

The smooth creepy voice of the Silver Lord in Brian's body suddenly spoke form behind them. "Indeed it was a brilliant prison, but once the lock is broken it can't be fixed."

Rose spun and moved in front of Astra as the chronovore flew towards them and landed next to the Silver Lord. "And now it's lunch time."

"Run!" Rose shouted to Astra, pushing her friend away from the gate. Astra nodded and grabbed Rose's hand. They rushed south towards the mound, past the silver Lord and the chronovore when let out another cry.

Rose released her grip on Astra's hand as they stumbled over a security fence and flinched at the sound of wings right above them. She stopped and summoned her sword, turning to face the creature.

"Rose!" Astra shouted, "Don't!"

The white being swooped down upon Rose and she swung her sword at it, but the blade seemed to pass through the strange creature without harming it. Rose felt herself being surrounded by an energy field that made all the hair on her arms stand on end. Then it turned icy cold and her mind went blank.

Astra froze in shock as the chronovore enveloped Rose and she vanished in a flash of white light. Her lungs tightened and she struggled to breathe. She could hear her blood pounding in her eyes as her two hearts beat rapidly out of near panic. Her fingernails dug into the skin of her palm as she tightened her fist and Astra felt blood seeping from the wound.

"What have you done?" Astra hissed, her eyes flashing in anger.

The chronovore flew back into the air, examining her carefully before it landed calmly where Rose had stood only a moment ago. The Silver Lord walked over, a smirk on his stolen face.

"Well Tyler is gone," he observed calmly. "How long can you hold onto your paradoxical existence little Time Lady?"

"As long as I need to," Astra snapped at the Silver Lord. "I know you half-breed, abomination of the Chronovore Kronos and the Eternal Echidna."

"Ah yes, Mummy and Daddy," the Silver Lord said with a false fondness. "Who allowed the Gold Guardian Lekinaveria to banish me."

"It was that or destroy you," Astra said trying to calm her breathing.

"Perhaps," the Silver Lord replied with a smile. "So what did you Mummy tell you of me."

"Not much," Astra said with a smirk. "You're just the villain in a few of my bedtime stories. Mummy was always victorious and kicked you arse."

"Really?" the Silver Lord said looking even more amused. "Because I don't see Mummy dearest here anymore little Time Lady. All I see is her frightened little girl who is going to fade away very soon."

"What's the point Silver Lord?" Astra challenged.

"Oh this isn't about me," the Silver Lord defended dramatically, stepping up next to the Chronovore. "I just thought my cousin might like a chance at revenge." The Silver Lord gestured to the Gateway of the Sun behind him. "You see Astra Fortuna Tyler, this was never about your mother, this was about you. I owed a debt and I am paying it."

"Me?" Astra asked, taking a tentative step back away from the chronovore.

"Indeed," the Silver Lord said. "See in your personal future you are going to be a meddling Time Lady and seal Viracocha in a tiny bubble dimension without time and seal it here in the city he built for his worshippers. 

"You mean his food supply," Astra hissed. "No wonder the civilization vanished, once he was gone they probably fled."

"Tomato, tomato," the Silver Lord replied with a brushing off gesture. "The fact is that this is your doing, your fault and my you're going to pay for it."

The chronovore gave another horrible cry and lunged towards Astra, taking flight in a smooth motion. Astra jumped away and dove to the ground, rolling out of reach. The chronovore barely missed her, but she felt the brush of its temporal feeding field against her senses and shuddered in horror. Jumping to her feet, Astra rushed for the edge of the barrier and didn't dare to look behind her where she could hear the Silver Lord laughing and the chronovore Viracocha screaming.

"A child of Rose Tyler and the Doctor running!" The Silver Lord mocked. "Your mother would be so disappointed. Your little prison won't hold him for long baby Time Lady!"

Astra gasped for breath as she reached the little road running at the edge of the pyramid and ran onto the flat land. It took her a moment to realize that tears were running down her cheeks. She stopped and looked behind her to see the Viracocha trying to break out of his prison once more. Shaking, Astra finally looked down at herself. Her right hand was starting to fade away.


	63. Gate of the Sun: Paradox Girl

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Sixty-Three: Paradox Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Thanks as always for the fantastic reviews and all your support and energy. Now recently the ideas that I've used in this episode were used in the show, but this episode has been planned out for over a year so please don't point out the similarities. I'm sad enough that I didn't finish this episode months ago as it is.

Astra gasped for breath as she reached the little road running at the edge of the pyramid and ran onto the flat land. It took her a moment to realize that tears were running down her cheeks. She stopped and looked behind her to see the Viracocha trying to break out of his prison once more. Shaking, Astra finally looked down at herself. Her right hand was starting to fade away.

After her initial rush of fear, Astra forced herself to take a long and deep breath. Mentally she reached out for the breaking timelines around her. Astra didn't have to see the point of damage to know what was wrong, it was clear that she was becoming a paradox as she used everything she had to keep herself from simply fading away.

Stumbling her way back to the town, Astra tried to formulate a plan only to come to the conclusion that she was lacking far too much information. A quick glance over the buildings revealed that most of the town had fled when the shooting and screaming started. Astra looked over her shoulder as she walked towards a small pub near the parking lot. The chronovore was still circling, searching for a weakness in the dome shield surrounding the area. Astra had a bad feeling that it wouldn't hold Viracocha much longer.

Astra gave a small sigh of relief when Sharon and Shireen rushed towards her from one of the houses. They met in the center of the town square, the church steeple looming over them and casting a long shadow.

"Astra!" Shireen called happily as she ran up to her. Then Shireen's eyes noted the scared look on Astra's face and the absence of Rose. "What happened?"

"The chronovore got Rose," Astra answered softly, trying to remain calm. "I take it that the phones aren't working." Shireen managed to shake her head and opened her mouth to speak, but Astra cut her off. "I need to go to the pub," she said quickly. She walked quickly past Rose's friends and into the deserted building.

Inside the pub, well bar in the Americas, there were drinks and food waiting on the tables and some chairs knocked over. A few hats and coats were scattered around as evidence that everyone had fled in a hurry. Astra couldn't blame them when a strange glowing white bird appeared and shots were fired.

She didn't wait for Sharon or Shireen as she walked around the bar and started grabbing a few things with her left hand. Opening one of the drawers she pulled out some rubber bands, bits of wire, a butter knife and a screw. From the shelves she pulled down to wine glasses and coffee cup before she set them on the counter. Shireen and Sharon joined her.

"Are you okay?" Shireen asked softly. "What does the chronovore getting Rose mean?"

"Chronovores eat time, but often they consume the temporal energy of a being by removing them. Rose is nowhere and nowhen right now. She hasn't been destroyed and she's not dead, she just isn't right now and into the future."

"How can we get her back?" Sharon demanded as Astra pushed a coffee maker over to Shireen. "I need you to help me with this. I'm a bit limited at the moment."

"Why?" Sharon asked with some alarm. "Are you injured?" 

"Sort of," Astra replied in a soft voice as she struggled to use her left hand only to start assembling a machine of some kind using the bits she'd grabbed.

"Astra," Shireen hissed. "What's happening to you? If Rose is your-"

Astra held up her right hand or rather her translucent right hand for the two young women to see. Sharon gasped and her eyes darted between Astra's hand and her face.

"Bloody hell," Sharon moaned. "You're Rose's kid."

"Yes," Astra said as she started to use her sonic screwdriver on the unfortunate electronic bits in front of her.

"And you're fading away," Sharon said in realization as she gaped at the girl. "Like Back to the Future!" She recovered a moment later and asked, "How can we help?"

Astra looked up sharply at her mother's friends and then gave them a small smile. "According to the Silver Lord I create this prison in my personal future, the chronovore's past so I'm hoping that I left myself a clue." Astra gestured to the junk in front of her. "First I need to figure out just how my little prison works and is keeping the chronovore in check. I'm certain that I would have also created a way to lock it back up."

"And you'll building a machine to do it?" Shireen verified as she watched the girl slip another piece into her contraction. "How can we help?"

"I need you to be my hands," Astra admitted as a piece slipped from her weakening grip. "I'll try to be as clear as possible, but I need help." Astra swallowed thickly, "I'm having to focus to keep myself from fading."

"How are you even still here?" Sharon said as she adjusted herself so she could help Shireen with the machine.

"Time Lady," Astra said, "At least I will be a full Time Lady someday. I have some influence over time and there is something about this place, the prison that is helping me hold myself together."

"Right," Shireen said with a nod. "First step?" Her voice trembled a little, but she spread out the pieces that Astra had gathered out on the counter.

Astra led the two women through construction a rough version of what Astra called a spatial chronometer, though both Sharon and Shireen got the impression that she simplified the name, which would allow her to measure the flow of time occurring around them against the proper normal flow of time and read the different in the area. To Sharon and Shireen it looked like a strange tower of junk with a coffee cup balanced at the top connected to Astra's mobile phone via some strange wires. Using her remaining hand, Astra gently turned the tower at the base which was made of the ripped open coffee machine while Sharon kept the sonic screwdriver on and pressed near a small sensor.

"Okay," Astra said as the phone's screen started to flash weird strings of numbers. "It's working."

"Really?" Shireen asked with a raised eyebrow. "How the hell does this thing work?"

"I'd have to explain using words that even Rose wouldn't understand," Astra said simply. "And I haven't got time for that. Lay out the map."

Shireen unfolded the area map given to tourists and Astra's translucent hand pointed to different spots on the map and gave numbers for Shireen to write down. Then the brunette Time Lady flinched back and released the chronometer. She struggled to breath and looked down at her hand again, only her hand was no long visible at all and part of her arm was vanishing. The chronometer stopped moving, but remained intact.

"At least it's not my feet or my head first," Astra joked, forcing a little smile for Sharon and Shireen. Neither of them smiled. "Alright, show me the map," Astra said after a moment.

Shireen turned the map and Astra leaned over it, using her remaining hand to trace the numbers that were written down.

"It's a layer effect in time," Astra said softly. "That's really impressive."

"Didn't you build it?" Sharon asked.

"Yeah, which makes it even more impressive." Astra looked thoughtfully. "Although I suppose I don't actually have to think this up since I'm seeing it now."

"So what's going on?" Shireen interrupted.

"Well the chronovore can eat time and gain more and more power that way so I sealed him in a tiny pocket of space without time to starve it into oblivion," Astra explained patiently before she tapped the different numbers on the map. "Time has been slowed down somehow through this area to limit how much energy the chronovore has to consume, the Gate of the Sun is probably the generator for this effect. That's why the phones don't work, even Rose and I's superphones. We are out of synch with planet Earth. We are at Tiwanaku, but we are nowhen. Time is being distorted here to hold that chronovore in check."

"And if it gets loose?" 

"You heard Jo, one Chronovre destroyed Atlantis. Kronos did that in less than an hour. Chronovores aren't creatures within time like us, they exist outside of it like the Guardians and the Eternals and don't give the same value to beings within time as we would."

"It'll destroy Earth," Sharon whispered.

"Given how much this thing hates me then I'd say yeah," Astra said, her voice weakening. "Gallifrey is gone and my mother was born on this planet, Earth is my homeworld and I trapped it here."

"So time is being distorted," Shireen said with a nod. "Is that hurting you?"

"No," Astra sais shaking her head, "I'm a paradox inside of a time distortion, it is actually creating a stabilizing effect on my timestream and my body. It won't last forever though."

"So we're in a bubble of time that is different than normal," Sharon verified. "Then how long have we been here?"

"I'm not sure," Astra answered with a chuckle. "Probably days to the outside world by this point."

"Then why hasn't anyone returned?" Shireen asked. "Surely Jo should be back at town by now."

"True and the time field doesn't go more than a few miles out," Astra said. "But it may not be letting them back in once they leave. This is a prison to hold a chronovore." Astra shrugged, "I wouldn't want a supply of food rushing up here to make it stronger."

"What would happen if we destroyed the Gate?"

"The chronovore would be free," Astra answered. "The Gate is the focal point of the time field.

"Then why haven't they destroyed it?" Shireen asked.

Astra opened her mouth to answer, but paused and frowned. "Good question, I have no idea."

"Maybe something is protecting it," Sharon suggested. "Some kind of force field, once the chronovore was free it couldn't get close again."

"That could work," Astra said with a smile. "And the Silver Lord is part chronovore so a lock against their species would leave them both unable to get too close to it. Locking the gate against Chronovore energy once it is opened would also partially explain the temporal disturbances. I'd have to bend time to prevent Viracocha from just devouring it."

"So can you adjust the controls in the gate?" Shireen asked.

Astra gave her a stunned look and then laughed. "It took me almost half an hour to build a machine just to tell me what the hell is happening! I have no idea how that machine works and I don't even want to know how long in my future it is going to take to build the thing." Astra shook her head, "Sorry but I don't think the sonic screwdriver is going to help with this."

"Then what do we do Astra!?" Sharon asked. "You built this prison in the future so we have to get Rose back or you won't exist to build it in the first place."

"I know," Astra said softly as she turned around and looked at the bottles of alcohol on the wall. "Like I said, I'm a paradox inside of a time trap." She giggled and shook her head. "This is something they probably taught on Gallifrey." Sharon and Shireen looked at each other nervously at Astra's tone. The girl sighed and rubbed her neck with her remaining hand. "I'm sorry, but I'm not sure how to fix this."

"You're a Time Lady Astra," Shireen said gently. "You'll figure something out."

"It's just…" Astra trailed off uncomfortably before she turned back to Sharon and Shireen, leaning on the bar top. "I'm the daughter of Rose Tyler and the Doctor and the universe has always been interested in me because of that, but it hasn't ever really been about me. It's always really been about my parents so to have this…" Astra shook her head. "Figures the one time it's actually about me I'd get my mother removed from her timeline."

"I'm sure your parents-"

"Oh, don't get me wrong," Astra interrupted as she looked back at the readings she'd collected. "Mummy and Daddy are great! I was always a very happy kid and I can't complain about having an interesting role to play in my mother's past, but…."

"But?" Shireen asked gently.

"But I'm scared," Astra said softly in a thick voice. "We're out of synch which means that Daddy isn't going to show up and solve this and Rose is gone. I'm all we've got and I'm… I'm not enough. I'm sorry."

"I can't understand why you'd think that," Sharon said gently. "I mean look at your parents."

"Exactly," Astra said, "look at my parents."

"I suppose half humans and half Gallifreians are just like any other teenagers," Shireen observed with a gentle smile. "Growing up is hard." Shireen put her hand over Astra's remaining one. "You're under the very bad idea that Rose finds this life easy and the solutions are simple. They aren't. Sure she can face down aliens and save Earth, but she has nightmares about them afterwards. She worries about revenge plots against her, messing up her time line or just failing to save the world someday."

"She's never said that," Astra breathed.

"Because you were a kid and she's your mother," Sharon said with a smile. "With the trouble your family finds you needed to have faith in your parents, to believe that they'd save the day and keep you safe, but even we know your dad better than to think he never makes mistakes."

"Think Astra," Shireen said. "There's a way out of this, you built a way out of this for yourself. I refuse to believe otherwise. You're going to prove that you're a Time Lady and fix this, stop the chronovore and protect your own existence."

"I can see why Mum keeps you two around," Astra said as she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She moved out from behind the bar, her movements slow and sharp.

"You're in pain aren't you?" Sharon asked as she moved towards Astra.

"There's nothing you can do," Astra said gently. "My timeline is starting to fade away."

Suddenly the chronometer began to spin wildly on its own and the screen of Astra's mobile flashed. A roar echoed through the town and Astra gasped. Reaching out, Astra snatched up the mobile and looked at the screen.

"We're out of time," Astra breathed. "The main time zone around the old pyramid has fallen. Viracocha is escaping. There are only three time fields in total and he's gaining strength. The last two won't be as strong as the first."

"What can we do?" Shireen asked urgently.

Astra started to turn towards her, but her eyes landed on a bottle of alcohol sitting on one of the tables. Ignoring Shireen, Astra stepped forward and slipped her phone into her pocket before she picked up the bottle in her remaining hand. One of the label was a howling wolf and the words "Bad Wolf."

"Astra?" Sharon called.

Astra's lips curved into a small smile and she set the bottle back down. "Thanks Mummy," she said softly before she turned back to them. She gave them a manic grin and stepped forward to hug Shireen and then Sharon, confusing both of them. "I'm not particularly happy with the solution, but I have it," Astra said.

"What are you going to do?" Shireen asked suspiciously.

"I'm afraid that I have to ask you two to do something very dangerous," Astra said. There was another horrible cry and the ground vibrated beneath their feet. "Run outside and get Viracocha's attention."

"We're distractions?" Sharon asked with wide eyes.

"I have to get to the gate," Astra said firmly, her posture straightening. "Its own only real option. I have a plan that will neutralize the time fields and snap the chronovore back into his cage."

Sharon and Shireen exchanged a worried glance, but Shireen nodded. "Okay, just be careful."

"I will be," Astra said. "He won't want to eat me anyway, I'm a paradox right now. Not tasty at all to the chronovore."

"That's not reassuring," Shireen said before she and Sharon moved to the front door. They opened it a crack and looked up at the sky. The chronovore was circling over the town and testing another barrier just beyond the buildings.

"Ready?" Sharon asked.

"Why are we doing this?" Shireen questioned as they slipped out the door and walking towards the square.

"Because we are too damn loyal to those with the surname Tyler."

"Astra goes by Wolfe?" Shireen pointed out with a little smile.

"And we both know exactly where that came from," Sharon responded.

The chronovore swung back around for another flight over town. Sharon screamed loudly at the sight of it and grabbed Shireen's arm. "Run!"

"Overacting!" Shireen hissed as Sharon started to drag her towards the road to La Paz.

There was another scream above them as the chronovore swooped towards them. Astra rushed out the door of the pub and headed for the gate, moving as fast as her legs could take her. Rushing into the sunken courtyard, Astra went to the gun dropped by the security guard that had been swallowed by the chronovore and snatched it up. She barely paused, but launched herself forward towards the Gate of the Sun.

The Silver Lord was standing near the gate, his hand against some kind of force field and Astra smirked at his frustration. He turned towards her and frowned at the sight of her. Then his eyes moved to the gun as Astra stopped running and walked towards him.

"Come to shoot me Astra Tyler?" He raised an eyebrow and added, "That's a bit dark for your family isn't it."

"Don't flatter yourself," Astra hissed as she moved closer. "That wouldn't kill you. I know that you haven't clawed your way out of the void just yet."

"Sadly true," the Silver Lord moved towards her, but Astra kept the space between them. "I wish you could tell me how you put together this marvelous trap."

"I wish I knew," Astra replied calmly as she took another step towards the gate. "Why are you keeping your distance?"

"You're a paradox," the Silver Lord replied. "The plan was that you'd fade away when Mummy was removed, but that hasn't happened. I'm part chronovore and I don't like paradoxes." His face took on a disgusted look, but he was still far too amused for Astra's tastes. "How are you still here?"

"My trap remember," Astra said as she took another step sideways. She felt a slight shudder pass through her body at the warping of time that blocked the gateway.

The Silver Lord's eyes narrowed as he saw her pass through the field and walk next to the gate. "The time fields holding Viracocha here are holding my timelines as well."

"Clever girl," the Silver Lord remarked. "Still the time fields are starting to fall as Viracoacha gains strength, you may have slowed time, but you haven't stopped it."

"You're right," Astra said as she raised her hand with the gun. She took the final step and was under the gate, standing at the edge of the portal to Viracocha's cage. "I need to end this before the fields fall."

"End this?" the Silver Lord asked.

Astra took a breath and raised the gun towards the Silver Lord who just shook his head.

"Chronovores don't like paradoxes," Astra observed. "And this time trap was made, was designed to be able to stabilize and use paradoxes. Right now my existence is stabilized by it." Astra took a shaky breath, her hand trembling slightly. "But what would happen if a girl who was already a paradox made an even bigger one." Astra smirked at the Silver Lord. "Say she killed herself under the gate that she built in the future that's controlling the time fields. I don't live to make the gate so what the hell did I shoot myself under and what the hell kept me alive long enough to pull the trigger."

Then Astra turned her hand suddenly, placing the gun against her head and as the Silver Lord's eyes widened in horror, she pulled the trigger.


	64. Gate of the Sun: Temporal Release

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Sixty-Four: Temporal Release

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: 1,000+ review?! SQUEE! Okay I'm done, but really thanks so much. This is a massive milestone for me and while it may be a bit silly it represents the fantastic support I've gotten on this story. I really do feel like I'm improved as a writer in the last year working on this story and I'm a lot more confident in my abilities so thank you for that. For me it is amazing to read my old stuff and see just how far I've come over the years I've been writing this fandom so again thank you. There is one last short chapter after this that I'll try to get up very quickly here.

Then Astra turned her hand suddenly, placing the gun against her head and as the Silver Lord's eyes widened in horror, she pulled the trigger.

She didn't regenerate, she forced herself not to as the life drained away from her. The instinct was there, a powerful survival instinct that screamed that she had twelve regenerations to use, but she held it back. If she regenerated, the paradox wouldn't be strong enough. Then everything went black as even a superior Time Lady brain couldn't cope with the injury.

Under the Gate of the Sun, the Time Lady who built it died, but the problem was that she hadn't built it yet so what had been keeping her alive as a paradox. Her body glowed and then vanished. Time folded in on itself for a split second as the paradox twisted time in the area. A rift began to open for the Reapers, but snapped shut as the temporal energy exploded outward from the Gateway. It glowed and pulsed as the time field didn't fall, but rather were retracted. In the distance, the Chronovore screamed as it was forcibly pulled back from two running humans towards the gate. There was a whirlwind around the entire archeological site and bright white lightning flashed through the area, but it didn't come from a storm. The time field reached the Gateway and the chronovore vanished into the portal with a cracking noise. The gateway split near the top, reopening the original crack. Near the gate several bodies blinked back into existence, lying unconscious on the ground. Everything went quiet and still.

Someone was calling her name, Astra, almost frantically. The sound of the voice was familiar and cut through the heavy haze of her mind. She became aware first that she lying on her stomach, her cheek against dry and dusty ground. Forcing her eyes open, she saw a pair of denim clad knees.

"Astra," the voice said again. Sharon her mind provided. "Thank God."

A pair of hands helped her climb to her knees. She took in a deep breath and looked around in mild confusion. Then she remembered and her hand flew up to her head.

"Easy Astra," Sharon said gently. "You're fine, I couldn't find any injuries."

Astra turned to look at Sharon. The dark skinned girl looked remarkably calm as she gently pushed Astra off of her knees so she was sitting normally on the ground. Then Sharon put a hand to her neck, checking her pulse while looking at her eyes.

"Well I have no idea what is normal for your species," Sharon said gently. "But the rhythm feels about right for two hearts going a bit quickly. Take another deep breath Astra."

Astra did as she was instructed and then slowly released the breath. She looked to the right, the Gate of the Sun was standing just a few feet away and on the other side of it, the normal tourist side she could see about a dozen unconscious people.

"I can't get them to wake up," Sharon said gently, noticing Astra's gaze. "Shireen and I were running from the chronovore when there was this loud wooshing noise and everything went white for a moment." Sharon gave Astra a stern look, "What did you do?" 

"Caused a paradox larger than what the temporal field could contain," Astra replied. "It snapped inwards back to the gate, forcing the Chronovore back into the prison cell."

"Do I want to know how you managed that?" Sharon asked, her eyes traveling over to the gun lying near Astra.

"No," Astra replied with a sheepish smile. "Probably not." Then Astra straightened up and looked around frantically. "Where's Rose?"

"Shireen is with her," Sharon said, catching Astra's shoulders. "She's like the others. She won't wake up. Do you know why?"

Astra shook her head and looked at the unconscious bodies. "Are their vitals okay?" 

"They seem to be fine," Sharon said. "Vitals, breathing are normal and we put them all on their backs to avoid blocking their airways." Shireen paused, "You weren't here at first."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Shireen and I came running back here when the chronovore vanished and the sun moved," Sharon pointed to the sky. The sun was near the east horizon. "We found all the people taken back, including Rose, but there was no sign of you."

"Must have taken some time for my time line to be corrected back to my existence," Astra said calmly with a shrug. "Don't worry about it."

Sharon gave her a withering look and then stood up. "Any ideas what to do next?"

"Well," Astra said as she pulled out her mobile. "Time is moving properly here again and it has caught up with the outside world." She chuckled as she checked the date. "Yeah it's morning five days after we left La Paz."

"I hate time travel," Shireen muttered, rubbing her head. "Uh no offense."

"None taken," Astra said as she moved towards the unconscious bodies. "It's not for everyone." Astra paused as she bent down and checked one of the humans. "This isn't good," she muttered. "Temporal shock. I'm not sure how to fix this."

"Temporal shock?" Sharon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"They were removed from time by a chronovore while already in a time field. This has caused a rare form of shock," Astra said. "I'm not sure how to fix this."

"Are they in immediate danger?" Sharon asked the medical student in her worrying.

"No," Astra said calmly. "But I need to check on Rose, her timeline is very complicated."

"This way," Sharon said, pointing towards the sunken courtyard. "Shireen is with Rose and the other people down there."

"You coming?" Astra asked as she took a few steps towards the sunken courtyard.

"No," Sharon said with a shake of her head. "This is the largest group of unconscious people; I'm going to stay here with them."

Smiling slightly, Astra nodded her understanding and headed for Shireen by herself. In the distance she thought she heard traffic. It made sense that something would follow the end of the time field. Astra just really hoped whatever group was coming that it included UNIT and not just the Bolivian army.

"Astra!" Shireen called relief clear in her voice. The brunette woman was kneeling next to the prone body of Rose Tyler. A bit beyond them in the courtyard were a few other people, all unconscious.

Shireen jumped to the feet when Astra joined her and hugged the Time Lady tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay," Shireen said softly. "But we can't wake up Rose or the others." 

"Sharon told me," Astra said softly. She knelt down and brushed a strand of Rose's blonde hair out of her face. "I'm afraid that I don't know what to do." Astra turned her attention back to the mobile she held in her hand. "Maybe Daddy will know."

Astra was about to push her own speed dial button for the TARDIS when the familiar wheezing noise began. A wind blew the stray dirt and dust of the outdoor site around as the blue box became to materialize. Grinning in relief, Astra shoved her phone back into her pocket and stood up.

The TARDIS finished materializing a moment later and Astra took a cautious step forward. A moment later the door opened a blonde woman about the same height as Astra stepped out. Her long golden hair was a partially pulled back and she was wearing blue jeans with high black boots and a simple London t-shirt. Shireen gasped, it was Rose, but older.

"Mummy," Astra said her voice thick with emotion. She stepped forward and the older Rose wrapped her arms around her daughter tightly. "You're here," Astra whispered.

"I'm here sweetheart," the older Rose said gently. She rubbed her daughter's back and looked over at Shireen who was gawking at them. "It's okay, it's over. You did wonderfully."

The first thing Shireen noted was that Rose only looked to be in her late thirties, hardly old enough to have a daughter Astra's age. The second thing she noted was the amused smirk on Rose's face as the older woman looked at her. Lastly, she noted the simple golden band on Rose's wedding ring finger.

Then the Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS and smiled at Rose and Astra. It was the brown-haired Doctor that Shireen was familiar with. He looked about the same, but around his eyes were a few more smile wrinkles. Her eyes looked down at his hand and noted the golden band on his ring finger.

Astra finally pulled away from her mother and rushed into her father's arms. The Doctor chuckled warmly and wrapped his hand around his daughter and kissed her forehead.

"Thanks for coming," Astra said softly.

"Of course," the Doctor answered, looking around. "You did very well Astra," he said softly. "As long as we never talk about what you did again." His grip on his daughter tightened at his words and Astra nodded, her cheek rubbing against her father's coat.

"Yes Daddy," she said with small smile. "But I was the only Time Lord here."

"I know," the Doctor replied. "And you are a brilliant one." He loosened his grip, allowing Astra to take a step back from him.

"Well I am your little girl," Astra answered with a smile. "I've got a family reputation to uphold."

The older Tenth Doctor gave Astra small smile, "Soon you're be zooming off in your own TARDIS, finding even more trouble without your old Dad." He gave her a grin, "You won't be wanting to be my little girl then."

"And you'll abandon Earth to a Dalek invasion," Astra said in a teasing voice. The Doctor blinked at her and Astra tilted her head. "I thought we were saying things that were impossible," she said with soft smile.

The Doctor grinned and said, "That's my girl."

"You're just catching onto that now," the older Rose said with a chuckle, gaining the attention of her husband and daughter. "Shall we finish cleaning up this mess?"

"How are you going to wake them up?" Sharon's voice asked from behind Shireen. Rose and Shireen both turned and looked at her. "I heard the TARDIS," Sharon said, gesturing at the ship. "And no one is waking up."

"Right then," the Doctor said with a wide smile. "UNIT will be here in just a few minutes so we'd better handle it."

"We?" Rose asked with a raised eyebrow as she walked to the side of her younger self.

"Well you of course, love," the Doctor said with a smile directed at her.

The older Rose shook her head, but couldn't quite hide her smile. Astra smiled up at her father and stepped away from him, joining Sharon and Shireen at Rose's side.

"Take a few steps back," the older Rose said to her friends. "This is going to produce some sparks."

"What are you going to do?" Sharon asked even as she obeyed and took a few steps back.

"I'm going to touch her," Rose said simply. "That will produce a burst of temporal energy that will produce the spark needed to restabilize the timelines of those who were affected by the chronovore."

"I actually understood some of that," Shireen said with wide eyes.

"So it's like using an electric shock on a heart," Sharon verified. "Or jumpstarting a car."

"Not a bad analogy," the Doctor said as he leaned against the TARDIS.

The older Rose nodded and then reached down and touched the hand of her younger self. A bright flash of light made everyone close their eyes for a moment. When everything cleared, the older Rose was blinking and rubbing her head with her hand. The Doctor jumped forward and helped her to her feet, gently pulling her away from the younger Rose.

Astra reached the younger Rose just as she groaned and opened her eyes. Rose sat up urgently and looked around with a frantic expression.

"Easy Rose," Astra said quickly. "It's over, the chronovore is gone."

Rose turned and looked at Astra, her alarm fading into slight disbelief. "And the Silver Lord?"

"Escaped," the Doctor said from next to the TARDIS.

Rose turned her head sharply to look at him. Her eyes widened as they landed on her future self. Her future self just smiled and gave her a little wave.

"What happened?" Rose asked.

"Oh some very complicated temporal maneuvering," the Doctor said, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking far too amused. The sound of sirens kept him from saying anything else. He looked over at Sharon. "Better go help those at the Gate."

"Right," Sharon said with a nod before she turned and started running up the hill. Shireen also nodded and rushed over to one of the nearby tourists that were climbing to their feet. Astra glanced at her parents before she followed Sharon up the hill.

"You'd better go and have a word with UNIT," the older Rose said. "Give us a few minutes."

The Doctor glanced between them and nodded. He leaned over and kissed the older Rose quickly on the cheek before he walked towards the town. Rose glanced towards the town and chuckled at a long line of military vehicles sped into the town. Her older counterpart smiled reassuringly and then turned to the TARDIS. Pulling out a key, she unlocked and opened the TARDIS before gesturing for Rose to go inside.

Rose stepped into the coral style TARDIS and walked up the ramp, noting that her older counterpart followed at a distance.

"So," Rose asked nervously. "Is this before or after… you know?"

"After," the older Rose answered calmly. She sat down in the jump seat and watched her younger counterpart with interest. "How are you feeling?"

"I've got a headache," the younger Rose admitted, "But I feel okay."

"Good," the older Rose said with a slight sigh of relief. "Two versions of the same person existing at the same point in time is tricky and made worse by them coming too close together."

"So what happened?" Rose asked with a curious tilt of her head.

"I touched your hand," the older Rose said. "That caused a massive release of temporal energy, restablizing time lines of those taken by the Chronovore."

"What happened to me?" Rose asked. "The last thing I remember is that I was trying to fight the chronovore."

"Well it devoured you for your temporal energy," the older Rose said gently. "You didn't really exist anymore. You were nowhere and no when until the time line was snapped back into place, restoring those taken by the chronovore and resealing it."

"But doesn't that mean that you didn't exist anymore?"

"Very briefly," the older Rose said with a nod and shudder. "But the Doctor and I were expecting it."

"So the Doctor stopped the chronovore," Rose asked as she walked around one side of the console nervously. Her eyes darting up to her future self, observing the older woman and noting the differences with interest.

"We'll go with that for now," she answered with a teasing smile. "Time lines have to be protected and you can't know the rest right now."

"So you're lying to me officially, but also telling me that it wasn't the Doctor," Rose said. "Lovely."

"You'll get used to it," the older version said with a smirk.

"Anything else?" Rose asked with a huff.

"That does it for now," the older Rose said.

Rose nodded and turned to walk out of the TARDIS. She stopped at the door, her hand on the handle before she looked over her shoulder. The counterpart had stood up and was standing at the top of the ramp, a warm smile on her face.

"Bad Wolf?" Rose asked. "What does it mean?"

"Bad Wolf means hope," the older Rose said. "It is a message across our timeline that to me means to never stop hoping and that things will turn out alright in the end."

"Where did it come from?" Rose asked, turning fully towards the older Rose.

"That I can't tell you," the older Rose said. "I'd say not to worry about it, but I know better." The older woman paused and tilted her head. "Thing are coming Rose, you won't always be able to stop them and won't always be able to protect yourself. Force of will isn't going to change that."

"So you're telling me just to accept it?" Rose asked, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't you supposed to be me?"

"Older and wiser," the older woman teased. "And no I'm not saying to just accept it. I know better than that." She paused and shook her head. "Honestly that is something I still struggle with. What I'm saying is try."

They looked at each other for a moment, divided by time and experience, but united by some much more. Finally Rose nodded and turned back to the door. "The wedding ring is a change," Rose quipped with a grin over her shoulder. "How many times did we make him ask?"

Her older counterpart just laughed behind her and Rose shook her head. Stepping outside, she pushed the door closed and took a breath. UNIT personnel, she guessed locals based on their ethnicity were running around with scanner and several looked up at her with awe. Rose resisted the urge to roll her eyes and gave them a little wave before he started walking towards town. Near the entrance to the site, the Doctor met her and grinned.

"You done already?" Rose asked.

"I don't do paperwork or formal statements," the Doctor reminded her with a smile. "They're waiting for you and have already spoken with your friends."

"Thank you," Rose said looking at him. "Even if you didn't fix this."

"No fishing, Rose," the Doctor mocked scolded. "You'll find out when the time is right." He started walking past her, but then stopped and turned back to her. "Have a good year and be careful."

Rose nodded, but wasn't sure what to say with so many people around. Instead she watched as he returned to the TARDIS and sighed as it vanished a few moments later.


	65. Gate of the Sun: UNIT Personnel

The Companion Connection

By Lumendea/CharmingSlayer

Chapter Sixty-Five: UNIT Personnel

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: This is it, the last chapter of my first Doctor Who season in the Guardians of the Universe series. Thank you all so much for staying with me through this immense journey. A lot of time, love and effort has been poured into this work and it was worth it. I really do feel like I'm improved as a writer in the last year working on this story and I can't wait to start on the sequel.

Rose was in one of the UNIT research rooms, fiddling with the sonic modulator in silence. Piles of tools, printouts and mechanical odds and ends covered roughly half of the table in front of her. Across the table sat Toshiko who was making notes on one of her blueprints with a pencil, her glasses perched on the tip of her nose.

"Tea time," Doctor Malcolm Taylor said as he walked into the lab with a tray, startling both Rose and Tosh.

Tosh gave a small squeak and almost knocked over her chair. Rose nearly dropped a piece of the modulator, but caught it quickly and set it down on the table with a sigh of relief.

"Sorry ladies," Malcolm apologized with a blush. He stepped forward and set the tray on one clear spaces. He looked at them both and said, "Maybe no sugar in your tea today."

Rose chuckled and accepted a cup of tea from Malcolm a moment later. He pulled up a chair and joined them after giving Tosh her own tea. Picking up the blueprints that Tosh had been working on Malcolm grinned as he examined the note. Then he looked over at Rose and examined the new attachement she'd made for the sonic modulator.

"Lovely work," Malcolm complimented them with a smile.

"Thank you," Tosh replied with a smile.

"Yeah, thanks," Rose said as she brushed a strand of hair out of her face and back into the messy bun she had her hair twisted up in.

"Not as interesting as aliens in New York and South America I know," Malcolm teased. "But you do need lab experience for school."

"I know," Rose said with a sigh. "At least I didn't get stuck in a lab all summer like most students."

"True," Malcolm said. "But it would probably be better if you didn't mention what you really did do."

Rose raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I figured that out when I was eleven." Rose chuckled. "Mind you, I do sometimes wonder what kind of expressions people would make if I ever did tell them the truth."

"Like you mother?" Malcolm asked with a tilt of his head.

"Nope," Rose said with a shake of her head. "I can never figure out how she'd react to it." Rose set down her tea cup and picked the sonic modulator. She handed it across the table to Tosh who took it gently. "I think we've almost got it."

A voice from the lab door said, "That's good to hear."

Rose turned to see Colonel- no Brigadier General Benton- she reminded herself standing in the doorway. It was going to take some time to get used to him being the Brigadier now that Lethbridge-Stewart had retired again.

"Hello Brigadier," Rose greeted with a smile.

"That's going to take some getting used to," Benton said with a smile. "I doubt I'll ever get used to it."

"I'm sure you well," Malcolm said with a smile. "It is certainly deserved."

"That's appreciated Doctor Taylor," Benton said as he stepped into the room. "But not necessary for you to say."

"Perhaps," Malcolm said. "What can we do for you today sir?"

"Your new staff member is here," Benton said.

Malcolm stood up and smiled widely. "An excellent, is she in the main room."

Benton nodded before turning and stepping out of the lab. Malcolm turned to Tosh and Rose. "Come on, time to meet the new girl. I'm sure you'll like her."

Rose stood up and followed Tosh and Malcolm out to the main room. A woman in her early thirties with blond hair tied up in a neat bun and wearing a simple white shirt with slacks. She was speaking in a low voice with Benton who was smiling gently at her when they joined the pair. The woman's eyes instantly shifted to Rose with interest before she turned her attention to Malcolm.

"Doctor Taylor this is Doctor Kate Stewart who will be joining the Scientific Research team here at HQ."

"Ah of course," Malcolm said as he shook Kate's hand. "I'm so glad that you accepted the offer to join us here."

"Thank you for selecting me," Kate replied.

"Well your paper on-" Malcolm started to say.

"Doctor Stewart," Benton interrupted. "This is Toshiko Sato, she is one of the researchers you will be working with."

"Toshiko is highly skilled in reserve engineering," Malcolm bragged with a smile at Tosh.

"Nice to meet you," Kate said shaking Tosh's hand. "I've actually read the file on the transmit system you got working."

"Oh that was only partially me," Tosh said quickly. "We're working on creating a new system for use on Earth, but there is still a ways to go."

"And this is Rose Tyler," Benton said with a smirk as he gestured to Rose. "I'm sure you've heard a few stories about her already."

"Only about half are true," Rose said as she shook Kate's hand with smile. "Welcome to the fun part of UNIT. We get to do all the interesting stuff here and use the fun toys."

"Tyler," Benton scolded.

"We're about to test the sonic modulator," Rose defended. "Tell me I'm wrong."

"Well maybe you have the most fun," Benton said. "But you also travel the world fighting aliens."

"I did not travel the world to fight aliens," Rose countered. "I traveled and found aliens that needing fighting, there is a difference."

Kate Stewart laughed and looked back at Rose. "I'm almost afraid to ask."

"I swear that it sounds worse that it actually is," Rose said only to have Benton and Malcolm snort while Tosh shook her head. Rose sighed and shook her head. "I'm now glad I go back to school next week."

"You'll miss us," Malcolm said.

"And our teasing," Benton added with a smile. He nodded to them and smiled at Kate. "Well I'll leave you to them." Looking back to Malcolm he added, "And I'll want the report of the modulator test first thing."

"Yes sir," Malcolm said before the new brigadier general walked off. He turned to Kate and smiled. "Are you familiar with the theory of the sonic modulator?"

"Yes Doctor Taylor," Kate replied with a nod. "UNIT provided me with information to get me up to speed when I accepted the job two weeks ago."

"Excellent," Malcolm said. "Then please do join us."

Rose stepped to the side to allow Malcolm to led Kate into the lab they'd been working in. Tosh smiled and her fingers reached up to snatch the sonic pen from Rose's hand. Quickly, Rose caught Tosh's hand and pulled the sonic pen free.

"Good try," Rose said as she slipped the pen into her pocket. "But not good enough."

"Someday," Tosh said. "Someday."

"You'll probably finish that prototype sonic probe before you get the pen."

"The probe is three times the size of the pen," Tosh said a sigh. "And only has three settings."

"My heart bleeds," Rose teased as she walked into the lab. "But the answer is still no."

"Oh did Tosh try to take the sonic pen again?" Malcolm asked, looking over at them.

"Yes," Rose replied as she went to her spot at the table. She stuck her tongue out at Tosh who returned the gesture.

Malcolm shook his head and looked at Kate who was watching Tosh and Rose with amusement. "You'll get used to it," Malcolm said. "And things are much calmer when Rose is at school."

"You'll miss me," Rose said. "You know you will."

"Not nearly as much as you think," Malcolm said.

"Liar," Rose returned with a smile before Malcolm handed her a printout.

Malcolm himself picked up the sonic modulator and gestured for Tosh to gather up a few of the other printouts and tools. "Come along children," he said. "We've got a modulator to test."

Rose nodded and followed Malcolm and Tosh out of the room. Kate Stewart watched the trio for a moment before she shook her head and followed. Father apparently had not been exaggerating. Rose glanced over her shoulder and smiled when she saw Kate following them to the testing room. Calmly, she helped Malcolm set up the testing mechanism. After a small fire during the last test they had switched to remote control testing of the sonic modulator in the small bunker, just in case. No one had forgotten that the thing had nearly killed Tosh and her mother in the first version.

"So which school do you attend?" Kate asked Rose as they sealed the test bunker.

"Cambridge," Rose answered with a smile. "I'm going into my second year," she added as she put on her eye protection.

"I hope you have a good year," Kate said as she slipped her own goggles on.

"Oh I will,' Rose said with a smile as they went to join Malcolm and Tosh. "I suspect it will be even better than this year."

"Ear protection too ladies," Malcolm said handing it to each of them. "Tosh wait for my signal."

Rose turned her attention back to the sonic modulator in the small test containment. They could see it through the clear siding as it was pointed at a small lock mechanism. Malcolm gave the signal and Tosh flicked the switch, activating it remotely. There was a small spark and then the lock fell open. Malcolm cheered, Tosh clapped and Rose smiled, tightening her fingers around the sonic pen. If one thing was certain, her second year of school wasn't going to be dull.

"Trailer" for Season (series) Two: Time and the Trickster Coming Soon:

Rose turned at the voice and found the White Guardian sitting in a simple chair with a pleased smile on his face. "Rose," he greeted warmly. "I have a little errand for you."

She glared at the Judoon commander and hissed, "You mean to tell me that Thane is back on my planet? The World Killed is back on Earth?!"

The dark haired man turned his eyes back to her and grinned even as the gun shots echoed in the halls. "Captain Jack Harkness at your service Rose Tyler." He gave her a flirty smile and added, "And I do mean at your service."

Brigadier Benton handed Rose the file and said, "The evidence suggest that your old enemy Apep has made it to Egypt. We don't know what he's up to, but Geneva agrees that you're the right person to go."


End file.
